Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS, President Kim Kyu-sung), under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim), revised three Korean Industrial Standards (KS) for gypsum boards and sandwich panels on November 4, 2026, to reflect the characteristics of building materials currently sold and used in construction and improve fire safety.

In response to a request from the Korea Fire-rating Building Material Association (KFBMA) to revise the KS, KATS gathered feedback through expert reviews by the relevant technical committee, meetings with the construction industry, and public consultation on the proposed changes as it worked on the revisions.

The revised standards add a range of thicknesses for sandwich panels to accommodate regional temperature variations and meet energy efficiency rating requirements. To align fire performance requirements with the technical standards of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), the revised standards explicitly require insulation materials to be noncombustible or semi-noncombustible and the panels’ outer steel sheets to be at least 0.5 mm thick.

For gypsum boards, the revised standards add specifications for 19 mm boards, which are the most widely used on the market, and set performance requirements for properties including flame resistance, thermal resistance, and flexural breaking load. They also allow product markings on either the back or the side, rather than only on the back, so the markings can be easily checked even when boards are stacked for storage.

“In revising the KS, we focused on ensuring that the standards reflect industry needs and the characteristics of products currently sold and used,” said Kim Kyu-sung, President of KATS. He emphasized, “We will continue to actively gather feedback from industry and improve national standards to enhance both safety and industrial competitiveness.”