South Korea: Safety requirements of child-resistant packaging for primary button and coin batteries.

 

South Korea has published a KATS Public Notice No. 2025-0186 establishing safety requirements of child-resistant packaging for primary button and coin batteries.

Purpose of Revision

Considering the ongoing domestic and international reports of child ingestion accidents (burns, perforations, ulcers, etc.) and overseas recalls of button-type and coin-type primary batteries, new safety standards have been established and related regulations have been revised to apply child-resistant packaging to button-type and coin-type primary batteries.

Revision Contents

1. The current “Safety Standards for Industrial Products Subject to Child-Resistant Packaging” has been completely revised to “Safety Standards for Consumer Goods Subject to Child-Resistant Packaging.”
2. The “Button-Type and Coin-Type Primary Batteries” safety standard has been added as an appendix to the list of items subject to child-resistant packaging.

This standard stipulates the safety requirements for child-resistant packaging and safety verification methods for all lithium and non-lithium button-type and coin-type primary batteries that can be swallowed. However, the following cases are excluded as “industrial” according to the notes in Appendix 7 of the “Enforcement Decree of the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Goods Safety Management Act”: 1.1 For packaging – When a separate manufacturing process for individual packaging exists before sale to the end consumer, and the product is manufactured, imported, distributed, and sold in an unpackaged state (bulk form). (However, when button-type or coin-type primary batteries are imported in bulk form or imported primary batteries are sold in bulk form to a domestic third party, the manufacturer who packages and sells or distributes the batteries in the form sold to the end consumer is responsible for using child-resistant packaging.)

1.2 For use in finished products – When included in products such as toys and home appliances (child-resistant packaging applies if the battery is separately included).

1.3 For replacement/repair – When manufactured, imported, and sold for the purpose of replacing or repairing batteries included in finished products by an expert during an on-site visit or at a repair shop. (child-resistant packaging applies if the battery is provided separately to the consumer.)

1.4 For research and development – When manufactured, imported, and sold for research and development purposes by schools, research institutes, manufacturers, etc.

1.5 For wholesale sales – When manufactured, imported, and sold in an unpackaged state (bulk form). When selling wholesale to distributors in the form of ‘(type)’

2. Related Standards The standards listed below are incorporated into this standard by reference and constitute part of the provisions of this standard.

The latest edition of these related standards applies.

• KS C IEC 60050-482 International Electrical Vocabulary – Part 482: Primary and Secondary Cells and Batteries
• KS C IEC 60086-1 Primary Batteries – Part 1: General
• KS C IEC 60086-2 Primary Batteries – Part 2: Physical and Electrical Characteristics
• KS C IEC 60086-4 Primary Batteries – Part 4: Safety of Lithium Batteries
• KS C IEC 60086-5 Primary Batteries – Part 5: Safety of Aqueous Batteries

To find out more about the standard as well as product compliance in South Korea, do not hesitate to contact the Product Compliance Institute.