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Selling toys in South Korea

In South Korea, toys are children's products under the Special Act on the Safety of Children's Products, run by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS). Toys are subject to safety verification: each model is tested by a designated laboratory and reported before release or customs clearance.

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

Main law
Special Act on the Safety of Children's Products (어린이제품 안전 특별법)
Children's products
Used by or for children not over 13
Toys (완구)
Safety verification (안전확인)
Validity
Five years from acceptance of the report
Mark
Safety verification mark plus a caution or warning
Serious accidents
Reported within 48 hours

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product a children's product, and which tier does it fall in? Read more
  2. 2Has each model been tested by a designated laboratory and the verification reported? Read more
  3. 3Does the product carry the mark, product information and caution or warning? Read more
  4. 4Are the conformity documents kept for the period required? Read more
  5. 5Who reports within 48 hours if a problem is found, and who recalls? Read more
  6. 6Are online listings and age limits on sale handled? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Children's products and the three tiers

What counts as a children's product, and where toys sit.

  • "Children's products" are goods, or their parts or accessories, used by or for children not over 13 years of age, excluding drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and food apparatus, containers and packages (Article 2, Special Act on the Safety of Children's Products).
  • Children's products fall into three tiers: safety certification (Article 17), safety verification (Article 22) and supplier's declaration of conformity (Article 25).
  • KATS lists 17 items for safety verification, including toys (완구), infant textiles, synthetic resin children's goods, strollers, cribs, children's bicycles and school supplies.
  • Children's products not listed for certification or verification are generally subject to the supplier's declaration of conformity, according to KATS.

How we help: Compliant Always records the tier and item for each product, with the specification that places it there. Ask about this

Safety verification and the supplier's declaration

How each model is tested and reported before it goes on sale.

  • A manufacturer or importer submits each model of a product subject to safety verification for testing by a designated laboratory against the notified safety standards, then reports the verification to the minister (Article 22(1) and (3)).
  • Safety verification is valid for five years from the date the report is accepted (Article 22(5)).
  • The manufacturer or importer keeps a document showing the product conforms to the safety standards for the period set by Ministerial Decree (Article 22(6)).
  • For products under the supplier's declaration, the manufacturer or importer tests them against the notified standards, makes the declaration, and keeps the supporting document (Article 25).
  • Products subject to safety certification are certified by a safety certification institution for each model before sale (Article 17).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each test report and verification with the model it covers, dated, and shows which are due for renewal. Ask about this

Marks, product information and warnings

What goes on the product.

  • A safety verification mark, including product information, is placed on each reported product (Article 23(1)).
  • A caution or warning about the product's effects on children's safety or health is placed alongside the mark (Article 23(5)).
  • No mark may be placed on a product that has not been reported, and no business may change or remove a mark (Article 23(3) and (4)).
  • Products under the supplier's declaration carry the declaration mark, product information and a caution or warning, and may not be sold, imported or displayed for sale without the mark (Article 25).

How we help: Compliant Always checks your artwork for the mark, product information and warning, and keeps the final version with the product. Ask about this

Reports and recalls

What a business reports, and how fast.

  • A business reports to the minister within 48 hours of becoming aware that a product on the market fails the safety standards, has caused a serious injury, death or other serious accident, or has a serious defect (Article 12(1)).
  • A business intending a voluntary recall reports the method and procedure, and reports the results afterwards (Article 12(2) and (4)).
  • A recall or similar measure taken abroad for an identical product is reported immediately (Article 12(5)).
  • The minister may recommend or order a recall of a children's product (Articles 9 and 10).

How we help: Compliant Always ties each document to the model and lot it came from, so a report or recall question is answered from the record. Ask about this

Online sales, brokers and age limits

Rules for platforms, purchasing agents and sellers.

  • Sales brokers and purchasing or importing agents may not broker children's products without the required marks; a mail order broker that immediately deletes an unmarked product from its cybermall is excepted (Article 30).
  • Where the safety standards set an age for use, sellers may not sell the product to children below it (Article 29).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the mark and verification details ready for the platform or retailer that asks for them. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerTesting each model, reporting, marking and keeping the documents.Test reports and verifications kept with each model.
ImporterTesting and reporting before customs clearance, marking and keeping the documents.Verifications read and dated before the goods arrive.
Online platform or purchasing agentNot brokering unmarked children's products.Mark and verification details answered from the record.
SellerSelling only marked products, and age limits on sale.Product documents ready for the retailer that asks.

National ministries and local government

Product law in South Korea is national. Each Act names the minister in charge, such as the Minister of Food and Drug Safety for food and cosmetics, and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources for electrical, consumer and children's products.

Many licences, reports and inspections under those Acts are handled by a Mayor or Do Governor or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu, so the local office named in the Act is often the one a business deals with.

Shipping out of South Korea?

Exporting toys from South Korea

Questions businesses ask

Which law covers toys in South Korea?
The Special Act on the Safety of Children's Products, administered by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and KATS.
What is a children's product in Korea?
Goods, or their parts or accessories, used by or for children not over 13 years of age, excluding drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and food apparatus, containers and packages (Article 2).
Which conformity route applies to toys?
Toys (완구) are among the 17 items KATS lists for safety verification: each model is tested by a designated laboratory and the verification reported before release or customs clearance.
How long does a safety verification last?
Five years from the date the report is accepted (Article 22(5), Special Act on the Safety of Children's Products).
What goes on a toy sold in Korea?
The safety verification mark with product information, and a caution or warning about effects on children's safety or health (Article 23).
Do I keep test documents?
Yes. The manufacturer or importer keeps a document showing conformity with the safety standards, for the period set by Ministerial Decree (Article 22(6)).
How fast must a serious accident be reported?
Within 48 hours of becoming aware of it, as for a failure of the safety standards or a serious defect (Article 12(1)).
Do I report a recall made in another country?
Yes. A recall or similar measure taken abroad for an identical product is reported to the minister immediately (Article 12(5)).
Can online marketplaces list unmarked toys?
Sales brokers and purchasing agents may not broker unmarked children's products; a mail order broker that deletes such a listing immediately is excepted (Article 30).
Are there age limits on selling toys?
Where the safety standards set an age for use, sellers may not sell the product to children below it (Article 29).
How does Compliant Always help with selling in South Korea?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, from Korean law and the regulators' own pages. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, 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.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in South Korea and what your paperwork needs to show.

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