Seok Weon Kim, Chairman of Korea Automobile Parts Association(KAPA) Chungnam Branch

-Global Empowerment, Supporting regional SMEs in entering overseas markets with their own globally competitive brands

-Industry Leadership, Dedicated to advancing the automotive parts industry, improving distribution structures, and protecting consumer rights through market integrity

[CEOs of Incubated Companies at KATECH Chungnam Cheonan–Asan InnoTown] The Sole Performance and Quality Certification Body for Certified Automotive Parts
The Korea Automobile Parts Association (KAPA) is the sole domestic body designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) under Article 30-5 of the Automobile Management Act to certify the performance and quality of automotive parts.

KAPA takes the lead in identifying and nurturing parts manufacturers with superior technology and supply capabilities. In particular, the Chungnam Branch empowers regional SMEs to penetrate export markets with their own independent brands. The branch is also committed to modernizing the industrial structure of automotive parts and refining distribution networks to ensure healthy market development and the protection of consumer interests.

Under Article 30-5 of the Automobile Management Act, Certified Parts(Certified Alternative Parts) refer to components that, while not Original Equipment (OE) parts, are certified through a rigorous process to possess identical or superior performance and quality.

Once a part is approved, KAPA issues the KAPA Quality Certificate, authorizing the use of the KAPA Seal. This certification enables manufacturers to supply their components to the automotive insurance repair market and other sectors.

Parts certified by KAPA offer performance and quality equivalent to or better than OE parts, yet are priced at only approximately 60% of the cost. Because these parts are legally certified under the Automobile Management Act, they command high consumer trust.

KAPA actively promotes these components through its official website and integrates them into the Insurance Development Institute’s AOS (Automobile Operation System). This allows non-life insurance companies, general repair shops, and parts distributors to easily select and utilize certified parts.

“We support SMEs in the Cheonan and Asan regions—one of the three major pillars of Korea's automotive parts belt—to enter global markets by developing their own brands”, said Kim Seok Weon, Chairman of the KAPA Chungnam Branch. “I established this branch to facilitate entry into the approximately 10 trillion KRW automotive insurance repair market, funded by the capital contributions of our member companies.”

Regarding future plans, Chairman Kim stated, “Through the 2026 International Seminar on the Korean Automotive Industry, co-hosted with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH), we will seek strategies to respond to the reorganization of the global automotive parts supply chain. Furthermore, we will participate in the Dangjin Asan Bugok Industrial Complex Competitiveness Enhancement Project, a government-funded initiative, to actively promote the establishment of an aftermarket automotive parts manufacturing base.”

Foundation: February 2012
Core Business: Quality certification of automotive parts, Maintenance training and manufacturing support, Import and export support for the parts industry.
Key Achievement: Successfully supported regional SMEs in entering the global export market by establishing and promoting their own competitive brands

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com