Strategies to build competitiveness in Korean conformity assessment through SDoC and mutual reciprocity recognition
Authors:   Korean Academy Of International Commerce, Inc., Kang Bong-Ju 
Published: October 2022

Purpose : The common international language of trade is 'Standard'. Conformity assessment activities, such as certification, inspection, testing, and approval, are closely related to the standards and build confidence in the products and services that consumers or end users purchase. For this reason, conformity assessments are essential in operating a company in the global market and play a significant role in international trade transactions of goods and services. Research design, data and methodology : This study approached the concept of conformity assessment, technology theory, and international business perspective through previous studies. Korean and international conformity assessment-related systems were analyzed. The results were derived from literature research by dividing the SDoC 1st party inspection activity and Mutual Recognition 2nd party and 3rd party inspection activities. Results : Korea's conformity assessment diffusion strategy was proposed in response to the era of international standardization competition. First, to respond quickly to the standardization competition of major powers, the Supplier Self-Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) system for cooperative suppliers should be urgently applied and expanded. In other words, the conformity assessment system should be strengthened by spreading self-reports of primary suppliers to expand Korea's conformity assessment procedure, which plays a vital role in the international trade process, and implement it on the international stage. Second, international standards, standards, and relevant regulations must be strictly and reliably observed and implemented for the spread of conformity assessments. Third, international applicability must be secured through an international mutual recognition agreement for conformity assessment activities. Finally, to establish such a system and eliminate overlapping risks, the government should establish a national organization that can serve as a government-wide control tower that can lead and efficiently manage conformity assessment activities beyond the enactment and revision stage of application standards. This is necessary. Conclusions : The core of this thesis is recognizing the importance of conformity assessment activities and proliferation, which are essential intangible assets of exporting companies. Compared to previous domestic and overseas studies, the academic and practical implications of this study are as follows. Although research on the SDoC self-conformity declaration system has been conducted, there is no case suggesting a specific spread method. In addition, it will be possible for manufacturing companies to apply the mutually beneficial recognition suggested in the study to achieve high performance in the global overseas export market. Moreover, it will be possible to realize realistic profits for exporting companies through cost reduction and shortening of the period required for export and conformity assessment procedures, and it will also provide practical implications in that there is a need and value for continuous improvement in the future. However, for competing countries, such as China, which is using its standards and diffusion strategy by presenting the 14.5th manufacturing standard 2035 strategy, the Korean government should strive to realize the conformity assessment diffusion strategy presented in this study through diplomatic and trade negotiations in the future. In conclusion, this study is significant because it recognized the importance of the international conformity assessment process and provided an effective way to spread the Korean conformity assessment system and its detailed role.