South Korea KATS KC 62133-2 Draft Amendment: New Compliance Rules for Lithium Batteries Exporting to Korea In August 2026, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) launched a public consultation on the draft amendment to KC 62133-2, Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary lithium cells and batteries, and released a WTO notification (G/TBT/N/KOR/1378). The draft plans to restructure the scope of application uniformly into “portable equipment” and add whole-unit safety requirements for products such as power banks. This article summarizes key points and preparation advice directly relevant to exporting manufacturers.

01 Timeline

◉ Public Consultation Period: KATS official announcement released on 26 August 2026; comments submission deadline: 16 September 2026. ◉ Tentative Implementation Date: 1 January 2027 ◉ Grace Period: 6 months ◉ Mandatory Enforcement: Enforced from July 2027 (Note: Further notifications will be issued once detailed rules are finalized. All content is subject to the official final release.)

02 Core Revisions

Based on IEC 62133-2, the draft amendment of KC 62133-2 incorporates South Korea’s local regulatory requirements with multiple revisions and upgraded safety requirements:

1. New safety test: Mandatory internal short-circuit test added for lithium cells only.
2. Supplementary overcharge test: Additional voltage requirements for boost-charging products such as power banks.
3. Revised external short-circuit test: Adjusted single-fault simulation requirements for the external short-circuit test.
4. Stricter dual-standard control for power banks: The draft specifies that power bank products must additionally comply with KC 62368-1. (Existing certified power banks may require certificate modification under the new regulation.)
5. Improved marking and packaging requirements: Batteries shall be marked with storage, disposal and charging instructions. Button cells must carry choking hazard warnings. Packaging must comply with gage dimension limits for choking risk. Korean safety warnings and charging guidance are mandatory.

03 Scope of Application

◉ Expanded Coverage: The draft replaces the old classification of “handheld, transportable and mobile devices” with a unified definition of portable equipment: equipment weighing ≤18 kg. Covered examples include pedestal fans, robot vacuum cleaners, ambient lights, power banks, smartphones, tablets, laptops, power tools, remote-controlled vehicles and personal mobility devices. Among personal mobility devices, electric bicycles and similar equipment with a maximum speed ≤25 km/h are explicitly included. ◉ Exempted Products: Products with batteries rated above 500 Wh, drones, automobiles and other products regulated by separate legislations. ◉ Parallel Assessment: Manufacturers of power banks must conduct conformity assessment for KC 62368-1 simultaneously.

04 Compliance Recommendations

1. Conduct product self-inspection: Verify compliance of cell internal short-circuit, overcharge and external short-circuit tests against new pass/fail criteria.
2. Dual-standard parallel assessment: Power bank manufacturers shall evaluate product conformity to KC 62368-1.
3. Update product design: Revise product markings, user manuals and packaging in advance, to include Korean safety warnings and charging instructions.
4. Reserve certification lead time: Closely monitor the final publication and transition arrangements of the standard. Reserve sufficient time for testing and certification to prevent export shipment hold-ups.

05 FAQ

Q: Does KC 62368-1 apply only to power banks? A: Under this revision, mandatory KC 62368-1 whole-unit safety requirements are newly added for power banks. Other IT/AV products already follow KC 62368-1; this update mainly adds obligations for portable power banks.

Q: Do power bank shipments to South Korea need dual standards immediately? A: This is still the public consultation phase and the regulation has not taken effect. Once KATS finalizes and enforces the rule, compliance will be mandatory. Exporters are recommended to plan ahead and avoid long-term shipments relying solely on the old single battery test reports.

Q: Can CB reports be converted to KC certificates to reduce duplicate testing? A: Yes. CB reports complying with the corresponding IEC standard versions can be used for KC certification conversion. Please verify the coverage of CB reports: battery CB corresponds to KC 62133-2, whole-unit CB (IEC 62368-1) corresponds to KC 62368-1. The two CB assessments are handled separately.