Introduction of Non-Face-to-Face Exam Certification... Supporting Companies to Overcome COVID-19

KS Certification and KOLAS Accreditation: Online Testing and Certification Introduction Seminar Held

Lee Seung-woo, Director of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] On the 28th, the government announced that it will introduce non-face-to-face inspection methods across the entire testing and certification system, including KS certification and KOLAS accreditation, to alleviate difficulties faced by companies.

The National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it will adopt non-face-to-face inspection methods throughout the testing and certification system under its jurisdiction.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held an 'Online Testing and Certification System Briefing' for certification bodies and related associations and organizations on the same day, introducing specific implementation methods and future schedules. The event was also live-streamed on YouTube.

Non-face-to-face inspection procedures using video conferencing and video calls will be applied to 11 areas, including eight certification systems such as KS and three accreditation systems such as KOLAS, without on-site visits or face-to-face inspections.

To this end, efforts will be made to revise laws and regulations, establish IT systems that ensure security and stability, and provide non-face-to-face training for KS certification auditors and KOLAS evaluators.

The National Institute of Technology and Standards is fully preparing for the implementation of the non-face-to-face system, starting with KS certification, by establishing detailed procedures and conducting mock non-face-to-face inspections.

Previously, certification auditors visited companies directly to conduct factory inspections and collect product samples, which were then sent to accredited testing institutions for quality testing.

In the future, when on-site inspections are impossible due to natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, or other reasons, remote inspections using video conferencing systems and video calls will be conducted, followed by on-site verification procedures.

Earlier, on the 20th, the Enforcement Rules of the Industrial Standardization Act were revised and implemented to allow non-face-to-face KS certification inspections. This is expected to be applied first to overseas factories where on-site inspections are impossible due to COVID-19.

Additionally, regulations related to NET, NEP, GR certifications and KOLAS, KAS accreditation systems will be revised with the goal of implementation early next year. For KC certification, non-face-to-face methods will be introduced after reviewing necessary procedures.

Lee Seung-woo, Director of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, evaluated, "The introduction of this non-face-to-face testing and certification system is significant in institutionalizing a constant non-face-to-face method so that companies' production activities can be maintained even if second or third pandemic situations like COVID-19 occur in the future."

Director Lee added, "I hope the system improvements will help companies overcome the COVID-19 crisis even a little. We will focus all our capabilities on thoroughly preparing the non-face-to-face procedures and firmly establishing them on-site so that companies can receive reliable and convenient testing and certification services."

Meanwhile, since February, when the spread of COVID-19 began, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has implemented temporary suspensions of KS and KC certification factory inspections as part of proactive administration.

In the first half of the year, the validity period of 425 KS certification regular inspections was extended. Also, 154 KC certification factory inspections were deferred.

The National Institute of Technology and Standards reported that not only was corporate satisfaction high, but it was also confirmed that many tasks could be handled non-face-to-face without on-site visits.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.