Korea Accreditation Board

Name

Korea Accreditation Board

Legal name

(재)한국인정평가원 (Korea Accreditation Board)

Website

https://kab.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accreditation Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

Keywords

• Conformity assessment
• ISO accreditation
• Management system certification
• Personnel certification
• International accreditation recognition

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Fees: Revenue generated from accreditation services including application fees, assessment fees based on man-days (평가일수), registration fees, and annual maintenance fees for accredited certification bodies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Korea Accreditation Board (KAB) is the national accreditation body of Korea, providing third-party accreditation services to certification bodies (CABs) that perform ISO management system certifications (e.g., ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001, 22000, 13485, 42001) and personnel certifications under ISO/IEC 17024. It operates the Smart Accreditation System for online applications, the KCN database for verifying certified organizations, and the KAB Education Academy for training. KAB issues approximately 59,700 active certifications through its accredited network as of 2026.

Product overview

KAB (Korea Accreditation Board) operates as Korea's national accreditation body, providing a portfolio of accreditation services for certification bodies and a certification network search system. The core offerings include the KAB Portal Website for general information and navigation, the Smart Accreditation System for online accreditation applications and management, the KCN (Korea Certification Network) for searching certified organizations, and the KAB Education Academy for training programs. KAB accredits certification bodies across multiple management system standards including ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), ISO 27001 (Information Security), ISO 22000/FSSC 22000 (Food Safety), ISO 50001 (Energy), ISO 22301 (Business Continuity), ISO 37001 (Anti-Bribery), AS 9100/KS Q 9100 (Aerospace), ISO 13485 (Medical Devices), ISO 21001 (Educational Organizations), ISO 37301 (Compliance), ISO 27701 (Privacy), ISO 19443 (Nuclear Supply Chain), ISO 42001 (AI Management), KFCC (Forest Management), Halal certification, and person certification under ISO/IEC 17024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Management System Certification Body Accreditation Accreditation of certification bodies (CABs) performing third-party ISO management system certifications (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001, 22000, 50001, 22301, 37001, 13485, 42001, AS 9100, etc.). Delivered through initial accreditation, surveillance assessments, and four-year renewals per ISO/IEC 17021-1.
• Personnel Certification Body Accreditation Accreditation of certification bodies that certify individuals' competencies under ISO/IEC 17024, including management system auditors, non-destructive testing personnel, welding inspectors, machine condition monitoring technicians, and beauty industry workers.
• KAB Education Academy Training Programs Paid training and e-learning programs delivered via edu.kab.or.kr covering ISO standard transitions (e.g., ISO 14001:2026), auditor training, and conformity assessment education. Issues completion certificates and passing certificates to trainees.
• AI Management Systems (AIMS) Accreditation New accreditation scheme under ISO 42001 enabling KAB-accredited CABs to certify organizations' AI management systems. Supports cross-border cooperation with Japan's ISMS-AC and Korea's KMR.
• ESG Management System Pilot Accreditation Pilot accreditation program supporting SME supply chain due diligence aligned with Korea's K-ESG guidelines, enabling CABs to certify ESG management systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• ISO 9001 certified organizations report average 7% higher wages, improved sales growth, and enhanced asset returns
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Korean National Police Agency (경찰청)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026MOU for establishing and promoting a scientific investigation international standard (ISO 21043-2) conformity assessment system. KAB will support the police agency in building an internationally recognized forensic science certification system, including auditor training and certification scheme operations.
• H2Korea (한국수소경제협회)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership to create a clean hydrogen certification ecosystem. Collaboration to support hydrogen industry development through accreditation services.
• ISMS-AC Japan (일본 IT분心安の全Gov)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MOU with Japan's IT sector specialized accreditation body to strengthen cooperation in the artificial intelligence field, supporting cross-border recognition and best practice sharing.
• Ministry of Health and Welfare / Korea Council for Social Welfare (보건복지부, 한국사회복지협의회)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Tripartite MOU to support the successful establishment and expansion of the Community Contribution Recognition System. KAB will support ISO certification integration into community contribution assessments and provide training programs.
• IBK Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK기업은행)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2022Business agreement to utilize KAB-accredited ISO certification information in corporate credit evaluations. ISO certifications with KAB marks are reflected in credit assessment items, enabling companies to receive preferential rates and access to financial products.
• Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (신용보증기금)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2020Partnership to provide credit evaluation benefits for companies with KAB-accredited ISO certifications. Companies with KAB-marked ISO certificates receive preferential treatment in credit evaluations, supporting SME financing and business development.
• International Accreditation Forum (IAF)coreOthers · 1 January 2020Full member of IAF with MLA (Multilateral Recognition Arrangement) covering 8+ certification schemes including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, ISO 13485, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, and personnel certification (ISO/IEC 17024). Ensures international acceptance of KAB-accredited certifications.
• APAC (Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation)coreOthers · 1 January 1996Full member of APAC with MRA (Mutual Recognition Arrangement) for the same certification schemes as IAF MLA. APAC MRA in Numbers 2025 shows APAC covers 90,690 accreditation scopes globally with 54% global market share in certification bodies.
• ANAB (USA)minorOthersMOU with US accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• UKAS (UK)minorOthersMOU with UK accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• JAB (Japan)minorOthersMOU with Japan accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• CNAS (China)minorOthersMOU with China accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• Dakks (Germany)minorOthersMOU with German accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• ACCREDIA (Italy)minorOthersMOU with Italian accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• JAS-ANZ (Australia/New Zealand)minorOthersMOU with Australia-New Zealand joint accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• KAN (Indonesia)minorOthersMOU with Indonesian accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• UKAS (UK)minorOthersMOU with UK accreditation body for mutual cooperation and information exchange.
• NCA (Kazakhstan)minorOthersMOU with Kazakhstan national accreditation body for Central Asia cooperation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DAkkS (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle): Germany's national accreditation body and full EA/IAF MLA signatory. Comparable peer operating under the same ISO/IEC 17011 framework with deep coverage of management systems, personnel certification, and ISO 50001 energy schemes.
• ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board): US national accreditation body under ANSI, full IAF MLA signatory accrediting management system, personnel, and product certification bodies. Directly comparable peer that has MOU with KAB and operates the same accreditation model in a larger economy.
• CNAS (China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment): China's national accreditation body with IAF MLA and APAC MRA membership. Comparable peer in scale and structure, with overlapping ISO scheme coverage and an MOU partnership with KAB for cross-border recognition.
• JAB (Japan Accreditation Board): Japan's national accreditation body with IAF MLA and APAC MRA membership. Directly comparable peer with similar scope (ISO 9001/14001/45001/27001), and KAB maintains an active MOU partnership with JAB.
• UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service): UK's national accreditation body, signatory to IAF MLA and APAC equivalent (EA MLA), accrediting certification bodies across management systems, personnel, and product certification. Directly comparable as a government-designated monopoly national accreditation body with the same ISO/IEC 17011 framework.
• JAS-ANZ (Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand): Trans-Tasman accreditation body with IAF MLA and APAC MRA membership. Comparable peer that accredits management system and product certification bodies, with MOU partnership with KAB for cross-border recognition.
• ACCREDIA: Italy's national accreditation body and full EA/IAF MLA signatory. Directly comparable peer operating under the same ISO/IEC 17011 conformity assessment framework, with an active MOU partnership with KAB.

Emerging players

• A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation): US-based accreditation body focused primarily on laboratory and inspection body accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025. Partial overlap with KAB's scope; relevant peer for understanding the lab/inspection accreditation segment KAB could expand into.

Regional players

• ISMS-AC (Japan): Japan's IT-sector specialized accreditation body, focused on ISMS (ISO/IEC 27001) accreditation. Adjacent regional peer with which KAB has an active MOU for AI-field cooperation, representing a potential cross-border collaboration model.
• KOLAS (Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme): Korea's national laboratory accreditation body operated under KATS, focused on calibration and testing laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025). Adjacent peer operating in the same Korean accreditation ecosystem but on a different scheme scope than KAB's certification body accreditation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCT9s8yT1Hd7_aH7WZZTpSxQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/korea-accreditation-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korea Accreditation Board