Korea Plans to Update Safety Standard for Children's Furniture

2026-07-27

On 03 July2026, The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) issued Announcement No. 2026‑211, proposing amendments to the Safety Standards for Children's Products Subject to Supplier Conformity Confirmation - Children's Furniture (Annex 14).

The revision focuses on chests of drawers intended for children aged 13 and under.

Key Proposed Amendments

1. Updated Reference Standards

ASTM Reference updated from ASTM F2057-17 to ASTM F2057-23 "Standard Safety Specification for Clothing Storage Units"
KS K 0210 (fibre blend ratio test) added
KS K ISO 105‑C10 (colour fastness to washing) removed
Citation wording for KS M 1998 revised

2. Expanded Scope of Regulated Products

Requirements	Current Standard	Revised Scope
Tip‑over safety requirements	Only for chests of drawers ≥ 762 mm	height ≥ 686 mm and weight ≥ 13.6 kg

3. Mandatory Anti‑Tip Restraint Devices

Chests of drawers meeting the revised height threshold (≥ 686 mm) must:

4. New Interlock Test Method (ASTM F2057 Annex C)

A new test is introduced for units equipped with tip‑over‑prevention interlock systems:

133 N horizontal pull force applied to each interlocked drawer's pull area
Force held for 10 seconds
Units that pass are exempt from the existing uniformly‑distributed‑load stability test (Annex A)

5. Additional Exemptions from Stability Testing (Annex A)

The uniformly‑distributed‑load stability test will not apply to:

Units where all drawers extend < 50% of storage volume
Units with open fronts or clear doors (≥ 50% transparent)
Units with storage height < 76 mm
Drawers < 1.7 dm³, excluding removable functional components (e.g., trays, shelves)

6. Revised Warning Requirements

The mandatory warning statements for anti‑tip restraint devices are updated, along with related referenced standards.

Deadline for Public Comments

31 August 2026

Reference