Quick Read for Exports to South Korea: Major Revision of KC 62133-2 – Power Banks Enter an Era of Dual-Standard Mandatory Supervision

In August 2026, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) published the draft revision of KC 62133-2 and completed the WTO notification, raising the overall safety threshold for lithium batteries. For the power bank industry in particular, the era of a single battery standard has come to an end, and dual-standard mandatory control is on the horizon. Factories and foreign trade enterprises that export batteries, power banks and portable lithium battery products to South Korea must seize the short transition period to avoid subsequent customs clearance obstacles.

I. Adjustments to Regulatory Scope

1. Newly added regulated categories

• Battery packs for personal mobility devices such as electric      bicycles with a maximum speed ≤25 km/h;

• Lithium battery packs for consumer products such as robot      vacuum cleaners, standing fans and desktop ambient lights.

Key change: The regulatory logic has expanded from "only regulating separately sold batteries" to built-in battery packs included in end products, a point easily overlooked by many finished product manufacturers.

2. Exempted scope

• Battery products with energy greater than 500 Wh;

• Categories already covered by special South Korean regulations,      such as automobiles and drones.

II. Key Timeline

This is currently at the draft stage, and all implementation nodes are subject to the final official announcement of South Korea. The publicly announced plan is as follows:

Reminder: The buffer transition period is only 6 months. Enterprises need to complete the entire process including sample testing, certificate renewal, and label and manual revision simultaneously. It is recommended to schedule planning in advance and avoid last-minute operations.

III. Three Core Changes in the New Regulation

This revision draws on the framework of the international standard IEC 62133-2, combined with South Korea’s local safety regulatory demands, with significant upgrades in test items, control modes and labeling requirements.

1. Upgraded test difficulty, cell safety becomes the first checkpoint

• Internal short circuit of cells upgraded to a mandatory test      item: This is the most critical technical change in this revision,      directly imposing higher requirements on the safety of cells themselves.      Cells that previously did not require this test must pass the assessment      under the new version.

• For boost output products such as power banks, the overcharge      test voltage conditions are updated and improved to simulate abnormal      charging conditions in actual use.

• Optimize external short circuit test conditions, adjust the      simulation method of single-fault scenarios, and tighten the thermal      runaway judgment standard.

2. Power banks face dual-standard mandatory control

In the past, power banks exported to South Korea only needed to meet the KC 62133-2 battery safety standard. After the new regulation takes effect, power bank products must comply with both KC 62133-2 and KC 62368-1 standards, with neither requirement dispensable.

In short, one standard controls the safety of battery cells, and the other controls the safety of finished information technology equipment. The complexity and compliance cost of finished product certification will increase significantly.

3. Mandatory new rules for labels, packaging and manuals

Many enterprises pass all product tests but eventually fail due to labeling documents. This revision sets clear constraints on text warnings and packaging structures:

1. The battery body shall be printed with storage conditions,      waste disposal instructions and charging-related prompts;

2. Button battery products are mandatory to add warning statements      about children’s ingestion risk;

3. The physical size of packaging shall meet the relevant      inspection requirements of the ingestion gauge;

4. Finished products, packaging and manuals must be equipped with      complete Korean safety warnings and charging operation instructions.

IV. Implementation Action Checklist for Enterprises

1. First conduct product classification and judgment: Sort out your product lines exported to South Korea, and      determine whether the products fall under the scope of the new version of      KC 62133-2 control; for power bank products, keep in mind the mandatory      dual-standard requirements.

2. Hardware and test evaluation: Focus      on reviewing three key tests: internal short circuit of cells, overcharge      and external short circuit. Existing reports may not be directly      applicable. Confirm with testing institutions in advance whether the      reports can be recognized under the new standard, and arrange      supplementary tests if necessary.

3. Simultaneous revision of documents and materials: Complete the revision of labels, outer packaging and manuals      in advance, and supplement all Korean warning content. Do not wait until      before the mandatory effective date to revise temporarily; reserve time      for version review.

4. Continuously track the official final version and plan the      certification cycle: It is still in the draft      state, and there may be minor adjustments to the official text. It is      recommended to keep paying attention to KATS announcements, reserve time      for samples, testing and certificate changes, to avoid queuing up near the      effective date and delaying order delivery.

South Korea’s safety supervision of lithium batteries is continuously tightening. This revision is not just about adding a few tests, but also expanding regulated categories and improving the finished product control logic.

For foreign trade factories and traders, compliance should not be treated as a post-hoc remedy. It is best to front-load the requirements of the new standard to the product R&D and selection stages. Matching the new regulation from the beginning of cell selection and structural design can minimize subsequent rectification costs.