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6-7 · Business certifications & designations

KS Certification Application Preparation (Quality Manager Designation and In-house Standards)

KS certification (Korean Industrial Standards product certification) is obtained under Article 15 of the Industrial Standardization Act by a manufacturer of a mining or industrial product designated and announced by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, who files a product certification application with a certification body for each factory. Certification review consists of a factory assessment, which checks whether the factory's technical production conditions meet the certification review criteria in Annex 8 of the Enforcement Rule, and a product assessment, which checks whether product quality meets the KS; for a new certification, the factory assessment covers the factory's operating records for the most recent 3 months (including prototype production records). Before applying, the company must therefore prepare in-house standards and management rules based on KS, secure a qualified quality manager, and accumulate at least 3 months of records showing operation according to the in-house standards. Products not designated and announced as certification items cannot be applied for, and after certification a periodic assessment is required every 3 years (every year for items subject to annual factory assessment).

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#KS Certification Application Preparation (Quality Manager Designation and In-house Standards)#Official check#6-7
🌐 Preparing a KS Certification Application
01

Procedure

Procedure

  1. 01

    Confirm the item and KS number: KS certification is available only for items designated by the Minister after deliberation by the council and announced in the Official Gazette and online. Confirm the KS number that applies to the product and the certification body's item-specific review criteria (sampling method, certification classification by type, grade, designation or model), and prepare separately for each factory if there is more than one.

  2. 02

    Secure a quality manager: The certification review criteria require a qualified quality manager. Designate a person holding a Professional Engineer Quality Management, Engineer Quality Management or Industrial Engineer Quality Management qualification, or a person who completed the 100-hour quality manager training course and passed the exam, and have that person take 16 hours of periodic training every 3 years. In a company with 20 or fewer employees, the quality manager independently performs the role of the quality management department.

  3. 03

    Prepare in-house standards and management rules: Establish in-house standards and management rules based on KS, suited to the company's size, and apply them company-wide. Specify incoming material inspection items, process control items and key manufacturing equipment, product inspection items and quality criteria, testing and inspection equipment, working environment and training plans, and conduct a self-inspection of standardization and quality management at intervals of no more than 1 year.

  4. 04

    File the application after 3 months of records: After accumulating at least the most recent 3 months of records of material inspection, process control, product inspection, equipment management and training carried out according to the in-house standards, submit the product certification application to the certification body. The certification body prepares a review plan and notifies the applicant of the schedule and the review team of 2 or more certification auditors.

  5. 05

    Respond to factory and product assessments and follow-up: In the factory assessment, the records are checked against the certification review criteria; in the product assessment, samples collected and sealed at the factory by the auditor are tested by an accredited testing and inspection body. If the KS or review criteria change after filing, revise the in-house standards as requested, and if a certified factory relocates, file a relocation assessment application within 10 days of completing the move and undergo the relocation assessment within 45 days.

02

Filing route

Filing route

The KS certification body designated by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources for the product item

Confirm the current filing office, jurisdiction, and online availability on the official website.

Official check
Actual processing agencyCompetent Korean authority or official service
Statutory and policy authorityCompetent Korean authority or official service · Competent Korean authority or official service
Online routeCompetent Korean authority or official service
03

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Check deadlines and next steps against the notice, filing date, and any request for additional documents.Official check
04

Basic documents

Basic documents

Basic documents0 / 8

Placing a KS mark or similar mark on products, packaging, delivery notes or promotional materials before receiving the certificate violates Article 15(3) of the Industrial Standardization Act, and records kept differently from the in-house standards lead to a nonconformity finding in the factory assessment, so align the record forms with the in-house standards from the start.

Scope of services

Scope of services

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Agent Office prepares and translates documents for administrative agencies, submits them on your behalf, and guides you through permit, application, and notification procedures. Services that require the principal’s personal appearance, principal’s application, or electronic signature may be limited in delegation.