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Exporting electrical and electronic products from South Korea

In South Korea, electrical products manufactured for export may be exempted from safety certification, safety verification and the supplier's declaration, and radio equipment made only for export from conformity assessment. Strategic items under the Foreign Trade Act need an export licence, checked through a determination on Yestrade. Exports are declared to customs.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Product safety
Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act
Made for export
May be exempted from safety certification and verification
Radio equipment
May be exempted if made only for export (Radio Waves Act)
Export controls
Strategic items and catch-all licences (Foreign Trade Act)
Determination
Self or specialised, through Yestrade
Export declaration
To the head of a customs office (Customs Act)

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the product made for export, and which Korean safety tier would it otherwise fall in? Read more
  2. 2Is it radio or broadcasting equipment made only for export? Read more
  3. 3Is it a strategic item, and has a self or specialised determination been made? Read more
  4. 4Is there any sign the buyer or end use calls for a catch-all licence? Read more
  5. 5If it is a used phone, has it been checked as not lost or stolen? Read more
  6. 6Does the buyer need a certificate of origin or FTA proof of origin? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Electrical product safety rules and exports

Exemptions in the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act for products made or imported for export.

  • The Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources may fully or partially exempt a product subject to safety certification where it is manufactured for export (Article 6, subparagraph 3, Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act (전기용품 및 생활용품 안전관리법)).
  • A product specified by Presidential Decree and imported for export may be exempted once a Mayor/Do Governor confirms it, as the local ordinance prescribes (Article 6, subparagraph 2).
  • The same grounds allow exemption from the duty to report safety verification (Article 16, subparagraphs 2 and 3) and from the supplier's declaration of conformity (Article 24, subparagraphs 2 and 3).
  • Each exemption is granted as Presidential Decree prescribes.

How we help: Compliant Always records the Korean tier for each model and whether it is made for export, and keeps the destination's test reports with the model, dated. Ask about this

Radio equipment made for export

Conformity assessment under the Radio Waves Act, and its exemption for export-only equipment.

  • Machinery prescribed by Presidential Decree may be exempt, in whole or in part, from conformity assessment where it is not manufactured for domestic demand but exclusively for exports (Article 58-3(1)2, Radio Waves Act (전파법)).
  • Machinery made or imported only for testing, research, technology development or display may also be exempt (Article 58-3(1)1).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the record that a model is made only for export beside its destination certificates, dated. Ask about this

Strategic items and catch-all controls

Export licences under the Foreign Trade Act for listed strategic items, and for unlisted goods where a weapons end use is known or suspected.

  • The Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources designates and publicly notifies strategic items under the international export control regimes (Article 19, Foreign Trade Act); exporting one needs an export licence (Article 19-2).
  • Goods that are not strategic items need a catch-all licence when the exporter knows or suspects they may be used for weapons of mass destruction, for example where the buyer avoids saying what the goods are for or the route is unusual (Article 19-3).
  • Whether goods are strategic items can be settled by a specialised determination, which may be delegated to the Korea Security Agency of Trade and Industry (무역안보관리원), or by a self-determination after the notified training (Articles 20 and 20-2).
  • Licences and determinations are handled through the Yestrade system, which offers self-determination, specialised determination and export licence applications; Yestrade announced the 38th revision of the Public Notice on Export and Import of Strategic Items, in force from 1 September 2026.
  • Traders keep licence and determination documents for five years (Article 28).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each product's determination with its record, dated, and shows where one is missing before a shipment. Ask about this

Export declaration to customs

The Customs Act declaration for goods leaving Korea, and the checks customs makes on it.

  • A person who intends to export goods declares their names, standards, quantities and values, and other matters set by Presidential Decree, to the head of a customs office (Article 241(1), Customs Act).
  • The declaration is filed in the name of the owner of the goods or a licensed customs broker; an export declaration may also be filed in the name of the manufacturer that supplied the goods to the owner (Article 242).
  • For personal effects, consignments, unaccompanied goods and postal items, the declaration may be omitted or simplified as Presidential Decree prescribes (Article 241(2)).
  • Goods needing a permit, approval or label under other statutes at export are checked by customs for it at clearance (Article 226).
  • Korea Customs Service (KCS): the declaration goes to the customs office with jurisdiction over the place where the goods are stored, and customs may review documents or inspect the goods.
  • Goods are loaded onto the means of transport within 30 days of the declaration being accepted, extendable up to one year; otherwise acceptance may be revoked (Article 251).
  • KCS: a false declaration, or export without one, may be punished as a false report, smuggling or price manipulation under the Customs Act.
  • KCS: before exporting used smartphones, the exporter checks with the Korea Association for ICT Promotion whether they are lost or stolen, and customs inspects for this.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the invoice, packing details and permits behind each declaration with the shipment and lot, dated, and shows what is missing before the goods are declared. Ask about this

Origin marking and certificates of origin

Marking origin on goods, certificates of origin for exported goods, and proving origin to claim a free trade agreement rate in the destination.

  • Goods the Minister has publicly announced as subject to origin marking are marked when exported or imported; false or misleading marks are prohibited (Article 33, Foreign Trade Act).
  • A certificate of origin for exported goods is applied for under Article 37 of the Foreign Trade Act, on payment of a fee.
  • Under a free trade agreement, a certificate of origin is either issued by an agency after it verifies the origin, or prepared and signed by the exporter, producer or importer, as the agreement provides (Article 11, FTA Customs Act).
  • An approved exporter certified by KCS may prove origin itself and use simplified procedures where the agreement allows (Article 12).
  • An exporter or producer that finds an error in a document evidencing origin notifies the customs office and the importer (Article 14); documents evidencing origin are kept for up to five years, or longer where the agreement says so (Article 15).
  • KCS issues a Certificate of Non-Manipulation for goods in transit or stored in a bonded area, used to show direct consignment under an FTA.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps origin workings, certificates and supplier declarations with the shipment, dated, and reads them against what the destination asks for. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe strategic items determination, any export licence, the export declaration and origin documents.Determinations, licences and declarations kept with each shipment, dated.
ManufacturerMaking the product to the destination's rules and recording that it is made for export.Test reports and technical data ready for each determination and buyer.
Customs broker or forwarderFiling the export declaration and loading within 30 days of acceptance.The documents behind each declaration in one record.
Korea Security Agency of Trade and IndustrySpecialised determinations, the strategic items system and exporter training.Product data kept ready for a determination request.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what electrical and electronic products have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do electronics made for export from South Korea need Korean safety certification?
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources may exempt products manufactured for export from safety certification, safety verification reports and the supplier's declaration of conformity (Articles 6, 16 and 24, Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act).
Does radio equipment made only for export need conformity assessment?
Machinery prescribed by Presidential Decree may be exempt, wholly or partly, where it is manufactured exclusively for export and not for domestic demand (Article 58-3(1)2, Radio Waves Act).
How do I know if my product is a strategic item?
By a self-determination, after the training the Minister notifies, or a specialised determination by the Minister or the Korea Security Agency of Trade and Industry (Articles 20 and 20-2, Foreign Trade Act). Both are offered through Yestrade.
What is a catch-all licence?
A licence for goods that are not strategic items but where the exporter knows or suspects a weapons of mass destruction end use, for example if the buyer avoids saying what the goods are for (Article 19-3, Foreign Trade Act).
Where are strategic items listed?
In the Public Notice on Export and Import of Strategic Items (전략물자 수출입고시). Yestrade announced its 38th revision, in force from 1 September 2026, with a table linking strategic items to HSK codes.
How long are strategic items documents kept?
Five years, covering licences, specialised determinations and self-determinations (Article 28, Foreign Trade Act).
Can I export used smartphones from South Korea?
KCS says lost or stolen smartphones cannot be exported; the exporter checks with the Korea Association for ICT Promotion before export, and customs examines the goods for this.
Can my buyer claim a free trade agreement rate on Korean electronics?
If the product meets the agreement's origin rules. A certificate of origin is issued by an agency or prepared by the exporter, producer or importer, as the agreement provides (Article 11, FTA Customs Act).
Does customs check export licences?
Yes. KCS checks at declaration whether goods are under export control under Article 19 of the Foreign Trade Act, and verifies permits other statutes require (Article 226, Customs Act).
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from South Korea?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

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