Up to 3 Years Imprisonment or a Fine of up to 30 Million Won for Issuing False Product Test Reports

Suitability Assessment Management Act to be Enforced on the 8th

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] In the future, companies that issue false test certificates through testing and certification bodies during conformity assessments of products and services they produce, as well as those who knowingly use such false certificates for business purposes, will face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.

On the 7th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's National Institute of Technology and Standards announced that the "Act on the Management of Conformity Assessment, etc." with these provisions will be enforced starting from the 8th.

Conformity assessment refers to the process of verifying and certifying whether products and services made by companies meet standards through testing and inspection. Currently, there are about 3,900 testing and certification bodies performing such assessments domestically. Among them, approximately 900 institutions are managed as accredited bodies recognized based on the National Institute of Technology and Standards' notifications after evaluating their testing capabilities. However, even when fraudulent acts were detected, administrative measures were limited to business suspension. For the remaining 3,000 testing and certification bodies, even if fraudulent acts were detected, the only possible action was effectively prohibiting the distribution of false certificates.

Lee Sang-hoon, Director of the National Institute of Technology and Standards, stated, "With the enforcement of this law, by effectively blocking the issuance and distribution of fraudulent and substandard certificates, we have laid the foundation not only to enhance the reliability of testing and certification bodies but also to develop testing and certification services into a high value-added industry. We will inform stakeholders about the law enforcement through various means including explanatory sessions, and promptly designate a specialized investigation agency to begin investigations into fraudulent activities such as certificate forgery and alteration."

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