South Korean LED Industry Buyers Exclaim: MADE IN CHINA, LOVE BY ALL!
Made-in-China.com has participated in this expo for several years, closely engaging with South Korean LED industry buyers and gaining firsthand insights.
South South Korean Government Promotes Comprehensive LED Lighting
Due to the global energy shortage, the energy-saving and environmentally friendly features of LEDs offer broader application potential, gradually penetrating the lighting field. Currently, LED products are mainly produced in Japan, South Korea, China (including Taiwan), and Southeast Asia. As early as 2006, South Korea set a "15/30" goal (achieving a 30% penetration rate by 2015) to promote LED lighting, initially replacing traffic lights, outdoor displays, and billboards with LED products. In recent years, additional initiatives have been introduced, providing opportunities for enterprises to enter the South Korean LED lighting market.
KC Certification: The Key to Entering South Korea's Electronic and Electrical Products Market
South Korea has a series of certification requirements for the import and sale of LED products, with the most frequently mentioned being the KC certification.
KC Certification (Korea Certification) is a national unified certification standard implemented by Korea Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) on January 1, 2009, based on “ELECTRIC APPLIANCES SAFETY CONTROL ACT”. To avoid redundant certification, since July 1, 2012, EMC and Safety have been managed separately. All electronic and electrical products applying for Korean certification must obtain separate KC and KCC (new MSIP) certificates for safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements.
South Korean Buyers Prefer More Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly LED Products
On-site interactions revealed that buyers generally have a favorable attitude towards Chinese suppliers and products. According to Yonhap News Agency's report in October 2023, "Data shows that over half of South Korea's major imports come from China, especially the rare earth metals and core materials for secondary batteries essential for chip production." Based on this, South Korean LED companies are also enhancing their R&D and production capabilities to reduce dependence on Chinese products.
When making cooperation decisions, buyers on-site indicated that energy efficiency and environmental friendliness are increasingly important considerations when purchasing LED products, especially when price differences are minimal. Products with corresponding certification qualifications also have greater market competitiveness.
Tips for Entering the South Korean Market
1, Localized Participation: From business cards and product labels to company brochures and booth posters, try to make everything all Korean! Buyers are more receptive to South Korean materials than English ones.
2, Integrating Coffee Socialization: More than half of the buyers on-site were holding a cup of iced coffee. It's no exaggeration to say that drinking coffee has become a social way for South Koreans! At the expo, for interested South Korean buyers, you can invite them for a coffee to discuss cooperation details and at least gather more information about their needs to assess cooperation opportunities.
3, Leveraging Social Media Channels: The commonly used social software in South Korea includes Kakaotalk and Instagram. When exchanging business cards, suppliers can pay special attention to the instant messaging contact information of South Korean buyers.
Beyond the Exhibition, South Korean Buyers Increasingly Use Platforms to Source Goods
According to Statistics Korea report released on February 1, 2024, the overseas direct purchase transaction volume in South Korea reached 6.7567 trillion KRW in 2023, a 26.9% increase from 2022. This is also the first time this figure has exceeded 6 trillion KRW since relevant statistics began in 2014. Leading the rapid growth of South Korea's overseas direct purchase market are Chinese companies.
Made-in-China.com has participated in the Int'l LED & OLED EXPO for many years. This year, on-site staff assisted hundreds of buyers in finding intended procurement products on Made-in-China.com platform and provided manual service channels for customized and special procurement needs. Buyers expressed, "MADE IN CHINA, LOVE BY ALL!"
As a leading cross-border e-commerce platform, Made-in-China.com has been dedicated for over 20 years to building a good trade communication bridge between Chinese suppliers and global buyers, working online and offline to help Chinese suppliers explore more overseas business opportunities!