Shipyards
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, formerly Hanjin Heavy Industries, is based at Yeongdo-gu in Busan.
Busan is South Korea's busiest port and its second most populous city, at the mouth of the Nakdong River. The container terminal has 43 berths, 20 at the North Port and 23 at Busan New Port, which is described as a gateway to the Eurasian continent and a key point on the Maritime Silk Road. An ATEX and IECEx smartphone distributor in Busan would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Busan has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Marking | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 on the rating plate | Design target; not yet marked |
| EU-type examination certificate | Notified body number and certificate ID | In progress with TÜV; not issued |
| IECEx certificate of conformity | Number listed on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Busan: Fuel and chemical storage, Port cargo handling, Vessel tank spaces | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Busan. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, formerly Hanjin Heavy Industries, is based at Yeongdo-gu in Busan.
Busan has a humid subtropical climate and is among the most typhoon-prone Korean cities.
The city's economy is about 76 percent services and 17 percent manufacturing, as the older manufacturing base has declined with the shift towards high-tech industry around Seoul.
Busan has South Korea's busiest port and the sixth busiest in the world, which handled 21.81 million container units in 2020, so equipment shipments can usually be arranged through frequent services.
The densest areas lie in narrow valleys between the Nakdong and Suyeong rivers, with mountains separating most districts, so industrial and port zones are spread along the coast rather than in one block.
The foreigners' shopping street near the port and Busan Station caters to visiting ship crews, which shows the city is used to international seafarers and foreign contractors.
ATEX is the European legal framework for equipment used in explosive atmospheres (Directive 2014/34/EU). IECEx is the international certification scheme built on the IEC 60079 standards. Buyers outside Europe often ask for both: an IECEx certificate is the technical evidence most national regimes build on, while ATEX is the legal route into the European market.
For the IS-04Z1 both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and neither certificate has been issued. The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: equipment Group II (surface industry), Category 2 (Zone 1 gas), protection concept ib (intrinsic safety), gas group IIC and temperature class T4.
In Busan. A reviewer in Busan would expect ATEX and IECEx evidence for a handheld used in ship repair yards, fuel and chemical storage or cargo handling, since foreign vessel owners and contractors call at a busy international port. The IS-04Z1 certification is in progress, so only a datasheet is available. Each yard or terminal decides what it accepts.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Busan yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Not yet. Both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and no certificate has been issued. Any listing that says otherwise is wrong.
Likely candidates are vessel tank spaces, ship repair yards, fuel and chemical storage, port cargo handling. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Busan.
Korean is the working language at most sites, though the port area is used to foreign crews and visitors. Plan interpreters or Korean-language safety materials for local staff, and check that device interfaces and instructions can be provided in Korean.
Port tank terminals, ship repair and shipbuilding yards, and industrial plants in the wider south-east region can all have gas or vapour areas. Each operator sets its own zones and permits, so ask for classification drawings and portable-device policy.
Busan Port Authority manages the port and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) covers workplace safety. SAMS does not hold any approval from either. Ask the yard or terminal which rules it applies, and confirm with the site operator.
Related guides for Busan and for South Korea.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.