KTL: Taking the Initiative in Testing,
Assessment & Certification

Unveils a new corporate identity in celebration of the 40th anniversary

On April 13, 1966 just 40 years ago, the Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) was established with the goal of developing industrial field engineers and a precision industry.
In celebration of this year's 40th anniversary, KTL unveiled a new corporate identity corresponding to its improved profile at home and abroad on top of the publication of "KTL's 40-year History"on April 13.
KTL's declaration of the new CI is aimed at developing its image as a public organization working toward creation of a strong corporate constitution by installing a strong sense of pride into members and innovating itself on its own,"KTL President Hong Jong-hee said in an interview with NewsWorld.
"KTL's new CI symbolizes the pride shown by KTL with a cutting-edge, reliability accumulated from companies during the past 40 years and a global image as Korea's representative testing organization working to make international standards,"he said.
KTL has played a major role in testing, assessment and certification in the Asian area as KTL was appointed the chairman of the Asia Network Forum (ANF) in 2005.
KTL President Hong will preside over the Seventh ANF General Assembly slated for Jeju this October with the goal of materializing common collaboration efforts among ANF members.
On the domestic front, KTL is bracing for these changes like the opening of the domestic testing, assessment and certification market. In the past, for KTL, marketing was not necessary because the institution almost took control of the market.
Things have changed however, as the government has relaxed restrictions and delegated power to the private sector. As part of its efforts to cope with the changes of the times, KTL has made strenuous efforts to reform itself and upgrade its testing, assessment and certification jobs to compete with other institutions. KTL recently began marketing itself to a broader base.
For instance, KTL established Safety Certification Center last January as part of its efforts to beef up marketing activities related to safety certification projects. Following are the excerpts of the interview with KTL President Hong.
Question: Will you tell our readers about the 40-year history of KTL?
Answer: KTL was jointly established by the government and UNESCO. In order to support the effective implementation of the five-year economic development plan, the government founded Korea Institute of Science and Technology for the purpose of developing basic science and technology as well as KTL with an eye to the development of industrial field engineers and precision industry.
The laboratory, initially named Korea Fine Instrument Center (FIC) in 1966, had been reorganized into and renamed Korea Institute of Machinery and Metals (KIMM) in 1979, Industrial Technology Center in 1985, Quality Assessment Center in 1989 and the current KTL in 1999, in a bid to meet the rising demands of the times.
Take a look into a chronology of KTL's major functions that have underwent changes according to each era.
In the 1960s, KTL was responsible for upgrading the domestic precision industry by training technicians and engineers, repairing/calibrating precision instruments, technology guidance and prototype production.
During the 1970s, KTL contributed to fostering the electronics industry as an strategic export industry, while serving as a mandatory testing institution of each government agency during the 80s.KTL evolved into an institution specializing in testing and assessment during the 90s and it was elevated to Korea's representative quality certification organization with international recognition during the 2000s.
Q: Will you elaborate on the significance of the soon-to-be unveiled new corporate identity (CI) of KTL?
A: KTL's declaration of the new CI is aimed at developing its image as a public organization working towards the creation of a strong corporate constitution through installing a strong pride into members and innovating itself on its own.
KTL's new CI symbolizes the pride shown by KTL with a cutting-edge, reliability accumulated from companies for the past 40 years and a global image as Korea's representative testing organization working to make international standards. The symmetrical stability and the triangle with its direction toward the center also symbolize a Korean leader with a forward-looking mindset working to set standards. The new CI will be unveiled during a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of its founding on April 13.
Q: What's the assessment of KTL's status in Korea's history of industrial technology?
A: KTL has contributed to Korea's economic growth through training engineers, offering technology guidance to SMES, R&D, testing/assessment and quality certification.
When KTL was in its infancy during the 1960s - a period during which Korea was heading for the rapid development of Korea's industries - KTL served as a catalyst of improving precision and training engineers, which are key elements for industrial technology infrastructure.
In particular, KTL has organized an annual precision technology promotion rally since 1970 as part of its efforts to back up the Third Republic's policy to foster the petrochemical industry. Until last year, a total of 547 companies were presented with the presidential award, while 778 people were conferred on such orders and medals as the Order of Industrial Service, Bronze Tower in recognition of their contribution to technology development.
The rally is designed not only to promote industrial technology development and the morale of engineers and businessmen but also to overcome negligence over technology.
As it has evolved into an organization specializing in testing and assessment, KTL has contributed to the advancement of the domestic certification system arising from an upgrade in technology levels and conformity assessment to international standards.
We at KTL are proud of the fact that given the domestic economy focusing on exports in electric/electronics sectors, KTL help exporting Korean exporters solve problems they experience in acquiring foreign certificates.
Q: What responsibility does KTL take in ensuring safety and quality?
A: As shown in the reorganization of KTL into Quality Assessment Center, an affiliate of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, KTL has foremost taken charge of safety and quality, It provides such services as an integrated testing and certification organization as support for precision of industrial find measuring instruments, key element for improving quality, localization of parts and materials and other R&D activities, clients-specific training for corporate quality managers and testing personnel, and testing/assessment and product certification projects on product size, performance, safety and reliability.
KTL has taken the lead as Korea's sole integrated testing and certification body in the advancement of safety-related institutional regimes. It has suggested alternative policies on the enactment of the electric device safety management act and support for legislation and amendment of laws covering technological standards. KTL analyzes developments on conformity systems of such international standards agencies as IEC and disseminate them, while supporting mutual recognition agreements between governments like the proposed FTAs between Korea and the United States and between Korea and Japan.
We continue to make strenuous efforts to help SMEs exports through quality certification. KTL has built up a global network by exchanging MOUs with 58 institutions from 33 countries.
Q: Can you explain your institution's mid- and long-term development strategy and vision?
A: Our vision is to become a world-class testing, assessment and certification agency with an international competitive edge. Strategic tasks designed to realize the vision are as follows:
- Innovation of personnel and compensation systems: reorganization and implementation of capability and merit systems.
- Highly talented manpower expansion: upgrading reliability of testing and certification and fostering new engine industries.
- Organization expansion: strengthening such positions as regional and foreign operations, corporate support and public relations.
- International cooperation: beefing up cooperation with 100 institutions from 50 countries and such organizations as IEC, ISO and ANF.
- Advanced management regime: focusing on customer satisfaction, integrated information system and ISP buildup, structural democratization and establishment of cooperative ties between labor and management.
Q: Will you explain activities you have conducted after taking office as the chairman of Asia Network Forum in 2005 and your future business plans?
A: I, as KTL President and concurrent ANF Chairman, presided over the Sixth ANF General Assembly held in Tokyo last November 7-11 with 25 delegates from five institutions participating. Major topics of the meeting included such topics as ways of promoting common recognition of certification among members, a plan to expand registration of ANF logo, mutual recognition of certification among members, and countermeasures designed to cope with restrictions imposed in the EU.
Committee 3, chaired by KTL, held an ad-hoc meeting in Hangzou, China between October 10-13, 2005 and discussed such technical details in TRON & OFF. HOUS and EMC sectors.
ANF Secretariat at KTL was officially opened last July 28 at KTL in accordance with a plan approved by the Sixth ANF General Assembly held in Tokyo.
KTL was awarded the right to host the 7th ANF General Assembly in Korea. The forthcoming ANF meeting is to be held between the late October and the early November in Jeju in accordance with a unanimous agreement reached during the 2005 ANF General Assembly.
Richard Hong, of PSB in Singapore, was appointed ANF treasurer following an agreement reached during the Sixth ANF General Assembly.
A seminar on certification systems of ANF members coincided with the Sixth ANF General Assembly. Four ANF members - CQC, ETC, KTL and PSB - presented their own latest certification systems and changes before 50 participating companies from Tokyo and other Japanese areas.
Take a look into ANF's future activities. About 30 delegates from five ANF members will gather at Lotte Hotel in Jeju to participate in the Seventh ANF General Assembly slated for October 26, 2006 with the goal of materializing common collaboration efforts among ANF members. A seminar on the certification systems of five ANF institutions, to be held at KTL Ansan Center in Gyeonggi Province on October 23, will be part of the series events related to the Seventh ANF meeting that will get under way until October 27. ANF committee sessions are to be held in Jeju on October 24-25.
The Seventh ANF General Assembly will take up a detailed plan to change ANF's legal entity into a foundation.
ANF delegations will be formed to visit the Bureau of Standards, Metrology, and Inspection in the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs (BSMI), and the Certification and Accreditation Administration at the People's Republic of China (CNCA) to solicit cooperation in ANF activities from the Electronic Test Center (ETC) of Chinese Taipei and China Quality Certification Center (CQC), respectively.
A delegation from the Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA) will contact BSMI, while a delegation from KTL will visit CNCA in May.
Registration of ANF logo will be expanded to include major countries in the EU and United States on top of the Asian region. An English brochure on the introduction of ANF has been translated in Korean to publicize KTL's activities. nw

(Clockwise) KTL President Hong Jong-hee; KTL's new corporate identity; and cover of 'KTL's 40-year History."

A ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of KTL's founding.

Choi Hong-gon, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Small and Medium Enterprise, Vice Minister for Commerce Industry Kim Jong-kap, ITEP President Yoon Kyo-won, Korea Materials & Components Industry Agency president Kim Dong-Chul & Electronic Times President Park Seong-deuk join others in unveiling KTL's new corporate identity.

A scene of the reception marking KTL's 40th anniversary

Choi Hong-gon, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Small and Medium
Enterprise chats with Vice Minister for Commerce Industry Kim Jong-kap and KTL President Hong Jong-hee.
(right photo) Dignitaries attend the photo exhibition marking KTL's 40th anniversary.