Port scale
Busan handled 24.4 million TEU in 2024 and is managed by the Busan Port Authority.
Busan is South Korea's busiest port and its second most populous city, at the mouth of the Nakdong River. Shipbuilding and ship repair are key local industries, so Zone 1 conditions arise in yards, fuel and chemical storage and cargo handling. Distribution partners for Busan are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
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.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| 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.
Busan handled 24.4 million TEU in 2024 and is managed by the Busan Port Authority.
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, formerly Hanjin Heavy Industries, is based at Yeongdo-gu in Busan.
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 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.
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In Busan. Busan handles vessels from many flag states, so visiting owners, class surveyors and superintendents often arrive with IECEx paperwork in mind. A certificate of conformity with its schedule of conditions is what they would look for. The IS-04Z1 has neither document yet, because certification is still in progress.
A distributor for Busan would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
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.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
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.
More on Busan, and on other places in South Korea.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.