Further Topics Archive - Page 8 of 22 - MPR Korea Certification

South Korean SK Telecom develops AI patrol robot with other partners

Together with other partner companies, SK Telecom Co. is developing artificial intelligence robots to take over surveillance tasks of security guards patrolling schools and factories. According to a report in the “Korea Economic Daily”, the market launch is to take place before the end of this year. The mobile network company SK Telecom recently announced that it had developed a self-driving patrol robot with AI capabilities. The company worked with robot developer Neubility and security company SK Shieldus. The robot is supposed to move autonomously in a defined area and report unusual events to a control centre. To do this, it transmits images to the command centre and can emit acoustic warning signals. Many components and parts of the robotics industry require KCs certification in order to be approved for import and sale in South Korea.

The three companies involved in the development recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of bringing the robot to market later this year. The robot will be used in schools, factories and public facilities that require round-the-clock surveillance. The priority is to use the robot to monitor areas that have many blind spots from existing surveillance cameras.

Prior to the market launch, a one-month test of the robot was conducted in February at Duksung Women’s University in the north of the capital Seoul. The robot covered a distance of 900 metres and sent videos of the area to the command centre. Currently, the test operation is being evaluated by interviewing the university’s security staff. After that, the final functions of the robot will be implemented. According to an SK Telecom spokesperson, the surveillance robot is based on Neubility’s delivery robot called “Neubie”. This is inexpensive to manufacture because, among other things, cameras are used instead of expensive LIDAR sensors. SK Telecom hopes that the self-driving surveillance robot will improve the security of residential and industrial facilities.

KCs certification was introduced in South Korea to ensure basic safety in the design and manufacture of hazardous machinery and protective equipment in hazardous workplaces in Korea. The aim is to protect the health and safety of workers by preventing accidents. We offer certification services for all product areas, including KC certification for consumer products and especially electronics, KC-EMV certification for electronic products and KCs certification for machinery, as well as KCs for explosion-proof products. We are at your disposal for all questions regarding Korea certifications.

Feel free to contact us any time if you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs, KCs for explosion safety products or KGS factory registration.
Tel. Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261 Tel. US: +1 773 654-2673
Email: info@korea-certification.com

For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

Incheon airport car park gets infrastructure for liquid hydrogen

South Korea’s largest airport in the capital Seoul, Incheon International Airport, is taking a big step towards environmental friendliness: a large filling station for liquid hydrogen will soon be built there. As Koreabizwire reports, SK Plug Hyverse signed an agreement to this effect with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Incheon Municipal Government, Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Gas Technology Corp. at the end of February this year. SK Plug Hyverse is a joint venture between SK E&S Co, the energy company of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, and US fuel cell manufacturer Plug Power Inc. Many hydrogen industry components and parts require KGS certification or KC certification to be approved for import and distribution in South Korea.

Under the agreement for the construction of the liquid hydrogen filling station, the companies involved will invest around 10 million US dollars. The filling station will be built in the Terminal 2 bus parking lot and is scheduled for completion in 2024. In addition, the signatories of the agreement are working to develop the airport into a hydrogen centre with filling stations, car workshops, parking spaces and opportunities for car washing by using existing buildings. SK Plug Hyverse is responsible for the supply of liquid hydrogen and the operation of the filling points. The airport is served by many long-distance buses, as well as feeder and local buses. The airport also sees a need for a hydrogen filling station for other vehicles such as trucks and forklifts that are operated around the clock. By switching to hydrogen, the airport operator hopes for a noticeable reduction in CO₂ emissions around the airport.
We offer certification services for all product areas, including KC certification for consumer products and especially electronics, KC EMC certification for electronic products and KCs certification for machinery, as well as KCs for explosion-proof products. We are at your disposal for all questions regarding Korea certifications.
Feel free to contact us any time if you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs, KCs for explosion safety products or KGS factory registration.
Tel. Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261 Tel. US: +1 773 654-2673
Email: info@korea-certification.com
For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

Samsung Electronics unveils new soundbar as flagship product

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled its latest soundbar in the premium audio space in mid-March 2023. The technology it contains is designed to improve sound quality and the experience of computer games on TVs. The HW-Q990C model is the top end of Samsung’s Q series of soundbars and features Q Symphony, Space Fit Sound and Game Mode Pro. In order to be sold in South Korea, electronic products are required to have KC Certification.

Q Symphony synchronises the soundbar with the TV speakers to create a surround effect. Space Fit Sound adjusts the sound output to the respective room and location of the TV set. Game Mode Pro automatically optimises sound for different game genres such as shooters and racing games. The HW-Q990C also has a SmartThings hub built in, allowing users to control various smart home devices via the Samsung SmartThings app without the need for an additional hub.

Samsung said it will launch five new soundbar models in South Korea in the first half of 2023. The company aims to establish itself as a provider of the best home entertainment experience with TVs. “The latest Samsung soundbars are designed for better sound and with appealing design,” said Kim Chul-ki, vice president of Samsung’s Visual Display business. “We want to provide customers with the best home entertainment experience when combined with a Samsung TV,” Kim added.

Certifications for the Korean market are a complex hurdle and difficult to navigate due to different authorities and certification systems. With over 15 years of experience in the certification business, MPR International GmbH is your best point of contact for competent service when it comes to exporting to Korea. For example, KC Safety is relevant for electronics and household products, which are mostly intended for consumers, as well as products for children and babies.

For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

Registration figures of imported cars exceed the 3 million mark in South Korea

By the end of 2022, a total of more than three million imported vehicles were registered in South Korea, according to government data. This shows that more and more consumers are opting for foreign car brands instead of domestic manufacturers. According to figures from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, registrations of imported vehicles reached about 3.17 million, or 12 per cent of all 25.46 million vehicles registered in the country. The ministry further pointed out that in 2011, there were less than 600,000 vehicles registered by foreign manufacturers, but this number increased to 1 million in 2014 and over 2 million in 2018. Three German car brands account for seven out of 10 imported vehicles: Volkswagen Group Korea, BMW Group Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea. Equipment and machinery from the automotive production sector require KCs certification in many cases. KCs certification was introduced to ensure basic safety in the design and manufacture of hazardous machinery and protective equipment in hazardous workplaces in Korea.

According to a report by the business portal “The Korea Bizwire”, this trend is continuing. In December 2022, for example, 24 per cent more imported new cars were sold than in the same period last year, despite the chip shortage. The number of newly registered vehicles from abroad was 29,640 units in last year’s December compared to 23,904 units in 2021, the Korean Association of Automobile Importers and Distributors reported in a release. The top three selling car models were the Mercedes-Benz E250 and E350 4MATIC and the BMW 520. Cars from Germany accounted for about 76 per cent of all new cars imported to Asia’s fourth-largest economy, the association said. The market share of all imported passenger cars was 20.85 per cent in November 2022, up from 15.35 per cent a year earlier.

The KCs certification was introduced to ensure basic safety in the design and manufacture of hazardous machinery and protective equipment in hazardous workplaces in Korea. The aim is to protect the health and safety of workers by preventing accidents. We offer certification services for all product areas, including KC certification for consumer products and especially electronics, KC-EMV certification for electronic products and KCs certification for machinery, as well as KCs Ex for explosion-proof products.

We are at your disposal for all questions regarding Korea certifications.
Feel free to contact us any time if you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs, KCs for explosion safety products or KGS factory registration.
Tel. Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261 Tel. US: +1 773 654-2673
Email: info@korea-certification.com

For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

Pledges for foreign direct investment in South Korea hit new high in 2022

Direct investment from abroad in South Korea, known as “foreign direct investment” or “FDI” for short, reached a new high last year in 2022. As per data released by “Korea Bizwire” in early January 2023, the investment amount exceeded 30 billion US dollars for the first time. Foreign institutions and companies pledged investments of 30.35 billion US dollars, up 3.2 per cent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The previous record of 29.51 billion US dollars was set in 2021. In particular, investments were noted in the textile and apparel, chemicals, metals and electronics industries. Products from these areas usually need KC certification to be approved for import and distribution in Korea.

Contrary to the pledges, however, in 2022 actual foreign direct investment in South Korea fell 3.1 per cent year-on-year to US$18.03 billion. According to the data, the number of investment pledges increased by 12.1 per cent to 3,463 and actual investments executed rose by 12.4 per cent to 2,325. Broken down by industry, the manufacturing sector more than doubled the number of investment pledges to 12.48 billion US dollars, a new all-time high.

Looking at the countries of origin of foreign direct investment, the USA leads the way with 28.5 per cent. Here, an increase of 62.5 per cent to 8.69 billion US dollars was also recorded compared to the previous year. Investments from the EU decreased by 36.9 per cent to 8.07 billion US dollars, and investments from China and its territories were 31.6 per cent lower, bringing the total to 5.16 billion US dollars last year. Investments for the new establishment of companies increased by 23.4 per cent compared to the previous year to a new record value of 22.32 billion US dollars. In contrast, investments for company acquisitions and mergers fell by 28.8 per cent to 8.14 billion US dollars. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said that the increase in FDI is expected to have a positive impact on employment and business investment in other related sectors. In addition, the government will continue its measures to deregulate and provide subsidies to foreign investors, the spokesperson said.

KCs certification was introduced in South Korea to ensure basic safety in the design and manufacture of hazardous machinery and protective equipment in hazardous workplaces in Korea. The aim is to protect the health and safety of workers by preventing accidents. We offer certification services for all product areas, including KC certification for consumer products and especially electronics, KC-EMC certification for electronic products and KCs certification for machinery, as well as KCs for explosion-proof products. We are at your disposal for all questions regarding Korea certifications.

For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

Beginning of petrochemical project by Hyundai E&C

Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering have formally launched a project to construct the most extensive petrochemical facilities to date in Ulsan, South Korea, known as the “Shaheen Project.” S-Oil, a South Korean oil refiner, invested around 9.3 trillion won ($7 billion), the largest investment by Aramco, a Saudi Arabian state-owned oil and gas firm and S-Oil’s primary shareholder, in Korea. The facilities will manufacture high-density and linear low-density polyethylene on a large scale, including a steam cracker complex producing ethylene, a crucial raw material for petrochemical products. Explosion proof products from this branche need a KCs Mark for explosion safety products to import or market them in Korea.

This project is expected to increase S-Oil’s petrochemical business share from 12% to 25%. The project will incorporate the thermal crude-to-chemicals technology developed by Aramco for the first time, converting low-value oil into raw materials for value-added manufacturing, making it the world’s most significant project of its kind. Hyundai E&C will collaborate with Hyundai Engineering, Lotte Engineering & Construction, and DL E&C as its primary construction partners.

The project will be divided into three stages: constructing the steam cracker complex and TC2C equipment, setting up high-density chemical production plants, and installing tanks. The project is expected to be completed by 2026.
Feel free to contact us any time if you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like

KC, KC EMC, KCs, KCs for explosion safety products or KGS factory registration.
Tel. Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261 Tel. US: +1 773 654-2673
Email: info@korea-certification.com

For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

Luxury brands expand their range of products for children in South Korea

Products aimed at children from international luxury brands such as Burberry, Moncler and Dior are growing in popularity in South Korea. This is reported by the Korea Times, citing industry sources. South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world, with less than one child per female in 2018. This already results in a low number of students of primary school age. In line with the saying: “Only one child and raise it well”, many Korean parents follow this motto and spend generously on their offspring. Clothing for infants requires KC certification to be approved for import and distribution in Korea.

Yet products for children from luxury brands are almost as expensive as those for adults. A school bag and coat from Burberry, for example, costs between the equivalent of 830 and 1,150 US dollars. Padded jackets by Moncler cost over 1,000 US dollars and were often sold out last year. The South Korean luxury department stores’ “Galleria Department Store” recently opened a pop-up store with children’s clothing by the brand Thom Browne. Thom Browne is a luxury fashion brand from New York that became famous in South Korea after stars such as the rapper G-Dragon and the boy band BTS wore corresponding clothing and accessories.

According to a department store employee, the demand for children’s clothing collections from luxury brands is currently growing considerably. Department stores such as Shinsegae and Hyundai opened numerous boutiques of luxury brands in their branches and did good business with them, the employee said. According to the Korean Textile Industry Association, the volume of the domestic apparel market was about US$32 billion last year, ending with a 7.5 per cent increase. The market for children’s clothing, on the other hand, grew by 16.8 per cent in the same period, more than doubling to 1.2 billion US dollars.
Certifications for the Korean market are a complex hurdle and difficult to navigate due to different authorities and certification systems. With over 15 years of experience in the certification business, MPR International GmbH is your best contact for competent service when it comes to exporting to Korea. For example, KC Safety is relevant for electronics and household products, which are mostly intended for consumers, as well as products for children and babies.

Hankook tyre service collaborates with charging station provider

Back in December 2022, South Korean tyre manufacturer Hankook Tire signed a memorandum of understanding with Daeyoung Chaevi (referred to as “Chaevi” in the following text). The cooperation is to build more infrastructure to facilitate access to charging stations in response to the increasing number of EVs in South Korea. According to a report by Business Korea, Chaevi is one of the leading providers of EV charging stations in the Asian country. Production around charging stations and e-mobility in general requires components and equipment, many of which need KC certification to be approved for import and distribution in Korea.

Under the agreement, Chaevi charging stations will be located on the premises or in the buildings of T-Station, Hankook’s tyre and car service company. This is to make it easier for customers to charge their EVs while visiting T-Station. The two companies also aim to become more customer-friendly for EV owners and actively promote their cooperation in the EV sector. Chaevi says it is one of the leading providers in South Korea with more than 4,000 charging stations and is currently expanding into foreign markets such as the US and Europe.

Hankook Tire is currently offering customers credit for using Chaevi charging stations as part of the launch of its new “Hankook iON” EV tyre range. Hankook’s tyre service T-Station offers online-to-offline services in more than 460 locations. It offers customers standardised maintenance and repair services with the latest equipment and trained professionals. In the online shop “T-Station.com”, customers can conveniently and easily purchase tyres from home and have them mounted in the workshops. Hankook describes itself as an innovation leader for EV tyres and underlines this by supplying tyres to the world’s largest EV manufacturers. Hankook was also the exclusive supplier and technical partner of the ABB FIA Formula E racing series in 2022.

SF Battery with 18-minute quick charge presented as global novelty

Back in 2018, the South Korean company SK On received an order from a global car manufacturer to develop an EV battery with fast charging within 18 minutes. In the course of development, this resulted in the so-called SF Battery (Super Fast Battery), which received the “Best of Innovation” award in the “Embedded Technologies” category at the CES technology trade fair held in January.
At the time of commissioning, charging times of 18 minutes for EV batteries were considered a challenge in the industry. In 2018, most car manufacturers demanded fast charging times of 30 minutes from their development departments or suppliers, while the realistic values were around 50 minutes. SK On was nevertheless confident of achieving the 18-minute target, as it had been researching batteries with fast-charging capabilities since 2016. “The spread of EVs depended on their range, speed and charging time,” said Park Ki-soo, SK On vice president and head of cell development. Battery production may involve, among other things, components and equipment that require KC certification to be used in the Korean market.

The key to fast charging is to reduce the anode resistance in lithium batteries. SK On has developed a special method for coating the anode and a new battery material for this purpose. SK On has also optimised the manufacturing process by using a new adhesive inside the cells called “SBR”. Afterwards, tests regarding the reliability and safety of the new SF battery were carried out by the car manufacturer who commissioned the battery. According to SK On, the SF battery can also tolerate more frequent fast charging and thus achieves a longer lifespan. In 2021, a newly launched EV was equipped with the SF battery and won numerous awards. At SK Group’s CES booth, the SF battery was one of the main attractions and attracted many visitors. SK On plans to launch an EV battery that can be charged in just 10 minutes in the coming years.

SK E&S presents hydrogen-powered drone at CES

SK Group’s natural gas division, SK E&S presented sustainable energy solutions at CES, which took place in January. At the US tech show in Las Vegas, SK E&S and partners showcased a fuel cell, hydrogen-powered drone and electric charging stations. Hydrogen is considered a green energy and a solution for achieving emission targets, as it does not emit pollutants when used. Hydrogen, or the fuel cell that runs on it, can be used to power forklifts, among other things. In the USA, SK E&S plans to market the GenDrive fuel cell and the GenFuel hydrogen dispenser together with the company Plug Power. SK E&S and its US subsidiary invested 1.6 billion US dollars in Plug Power last year. Machinery and components and products in this field often require KC certification to be approved for import and distribution in Korea.

SK E&S is also working on a hydrogen-powered drone that completed a 13-hour, 24-minute flight earlier this year, setting a record for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in its class. For propulsion, SK E&S uses liquid hydrogen, which has a higher energy density and stability than gaseous hydrogen. Drones with a tank for gaseous hydrogen can fly 26 times longer than drones with lithium-ion batteries and 6 times longer than drones with gaseous hydrogen as fuel. The Californian start-up EverCharge Inc., acquired by SK E&S, presented an EV charging solution for private users and the domestic sector called “COVE” at CES. At the show, SK E&S displayed diagrams for its CCUS technology, which can capture, store and use carbon dioxide from industrial processes. In Australia, SK E&S is pushing ahead with the development of a gas field where the CO₂ storage technology will be used. In May 2022, the South Koreans announced that they would invest in a project to capture and store up to 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide currently emitted by 32 bioethanol plants in the United States Midwest.

For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.

South Korean SK Telecom develops AI patrol robot with other partners

Incheon airport car park gets infrastructure for liquid hydrogen

Samsung Electronics unveils new soundbar as flagship product

Registration figures of imported cars exceed the 3 million mark in South Korea

Pledges for foreign direct investment in South Korea hit new high in 2022

Beginning of petrochemical project by Hyundai E&C

Luxury brands expand their range of products for children in South Korea

Hankook tyre service collaborates with charging station provider

SF Battery with 18-minute quick charge presented as global novelty

SK E&S presents hydrogen-powered drone at CES

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