The De Facto Standard: More South Korean Companies Embracing IPC Standards

Estimated reading time: Less than a minute

In April 2025, the Korean government promoted the active adoption of IPC standards by Korean companies and encouraged their participation in IPC standards development through the following policy tools.

• Subsidizing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to become members of the Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC)
• Providing financial support for expert travel and meeting expenses to encourage active participation in standards development
• Supporting the organization of standard promotion events such as IPC K-FEST
• Establish Standard Contribution Awards to recognize outstanding contributions by companies and individuals in standards development

Typically, a standard is called an “International Standard” when it is established by a public standardization body, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) or the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). When a standard set by an industry organization—rather than the public standardization body mentioned above—is widely accepted and used internationally in a specific field, it is called a “de facto standard.”

Continue reading this article in the Fall 2025 issue of Community Magazine.