The government plans to review the necessity of the 246 certification systems currently operated by 28 ministries by 2027. Among these, duplicate or unreasonable certification systems will be consolidated to reduce the burden on corporations.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's National Institute of Technology and Standards reported to the 580th Regulatory Reform Committee on the list of certification systems under review for their necessity and the main review directions contained in the "third cycle (2025-2027) effectiveness review plan for conformity assessment" on the 28th.
The government will review the effectiveness of 80 certification systems this year, with plans to review 83 systems each in 2026 and 2027. Based on the review results, decisions will be made regarding abolition, consolidation, improvement, or continuation. Systems that lack standards or have poor performance, those that are merely for promotional purposes, or those without overseas examples will be considered for abolition. Plans include integrating similar certifications, mutual recognition of test results, simplifying procedures, and extending validity periods to reduce the burden on corporations.
The government has been operating a system to review the effectiveness of conformity assessment since 2019 for reasonable certification operations and to alleviate the burden on corporations. Conformity assessment is an activity that evaluates whether products and services meet the specified requirements, with notable examples including "safety certification for electrical appliances," "ginseng testing," and "food master designation."
The government stated, "Certification systems are operated for the safety, health, environmental protection, and support of product market entry for the public, but some similar, duplicate, or unreasonable standards can burden corporations or act as market entry regulations." Accordingly, 28 certification systems have been consolidated since 2019; however, the total number of certification systems has actually increased from 186 to 246.
Kim Dae-ja, head of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, said, "I will do my best for regulatory rationalization by continuously expanding communication with the field to reduce the burden on corporations while ensuring there are no disruptions to public safety, health, and environmental protection."