G/TBT/N/KOR/437  
 
1 August 2013  
(13-4131)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  REPUBLIC OF KOREA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:   
Railway Technology and Safety Division  
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport 
#11, Doum-ro 6, Sejong Special Self-governing City, 339-012,  Republic of Korea 
Tel:  +82-44-201-4603 
Fax:  +82-44-201-5671  E-mail:  hjcho@molit.go.kr  
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :    
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Railway 
vehicles and constituents (a separate list of applicable constituents will be notified at a later date). 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:  The proposed 
amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Railway Safety Act (51 pages, in Korean) The proposed amendment of the Enforcement Rule of the Railway Safety Act (187 pages, 
in Korean). 
6. Description of content:  [Enforcement Decree amendment] 
- The type approval of railway vehicles constituents will be conditionally exempted 
when the vehicles or the constituents are not used for railway operation in Korea but for tests, research, and developmen t and export purposes. In addition, 
approval of a manufacturer will be exempted for specific railway vehicles used for 
maintenance, restoration of accidents and breakdowns, and when international treaties or agreements have been signed.  
- An independent railway safety certification center tasked with specialized functions 
in such areas as follows will be established and operated:  
1. Approval of types and manufacturers of railway vehicles and constituents;  
2. Product verification of railway vehicles;  
3. Approval of a safety management system including railway operators;  
4. Specialized tests and inspection including comprehensive pilot operations; 
and  
5. Revision of technical regulations and government notices (guidelines)  
- The functions assigned to the railway safety certification centre will be entrusted G/TBT/N/KOR/437 
 
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  to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (approval examination on safety 
management systems, review of results of the comprehensive pilot operations) and Korea Railroad Research Institute (a pproval of types and manufacturers of 
railway vehicles and constituents, product verification of railway vehicles).  
[Enforcement Rule amendment] - Definitions have been set out on such matters as follows, which are conducted to 
verify the safety of railway vehicles and constituents:  
1. Objects, procedures, methods of the type approval;  
2. Issue of certificates of type approval;  
3. Objects, procedures, methods of approval for type modifications ;  
4. Applicable objects that are required  to notify for type modifications;  
5. Scope of examination exemption; and 
6. Order on approval for type modifications 
- Examination for the type approval consist of design inspections, conformity 
inspections, and type tests of railway vehicles and constituents 
- Definitions have been set out on such matters as follows, which are conducted to 
ensure the quality management system of railway vehicles and constituents:  
1. Applicable objects, procedures, methods of a manufacturer approval;  
2. Objects, procedures, methods of product verification of railway vehicles;  
3. Issue of certificates of manufactu rer approval (including constituent 
manufacturers), and of product verification of railway vehicles;  
4. Objects, procedures, methods of approval for manufacture modification 5. Objects, procedures of notification for manufacture modification;  
6. Scope of examination exemption;  
7. Procedures for succession of the approved qualification; and  8. Withdrawal of approval 
- A manufacturer approval consists of a conformity inspection for quality 
management system, and a site inspection  
- Definitions have been set out on the following matters which have been 
introduced to enhance safety management on the maintenance of railway facilities 
and railway operation:  
1. Procedures and methods of approval for a safety management system;  
2. Inspection methods on whether a safety management system is being 
always activated well; and 
3. Regulations for withdrawing approvals or restriction/suspension of railway 
operation 
- Fairness has been secured by adding other criteria such as the establishment and 
amendment of technical regulations and selection of constituents for type approval 
in addition to the establishment and amendment of the existing railway standards listed as review targets of the Ko rea railway technology committee.  
- Applicable facilities that are required to meet technical regulations for 
maintenance and management have been defined as follows:  
1. Railway tracks;  2. Electric power supply;  
3. Signaling and commands system;  
4. Information and communications systems;  5. Station facilities; and  
6. Crossings 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Enhancement of railway safety.  G/TBT/N/KOR/437 
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   MOLIT Notice (July 9, 2013 /2013-423, 2013-424)   
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    31 December, 2013  19 March 2014 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from date of notification. 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:    
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Division 
Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) 96 Gyoyukwongil  
Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 
Republic of Korea 427-716 Tel.:  (+82) 2509 7254/7255 Fax:  (+82) 2509 7307 
E-mail:  tbt@kats.go.kr  
Website:  http://www.knowtbt.kr  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2013/tbt/KOR/13_3023_00_x.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2013/tbt/KOR/13_3023_01_x.pdf