Acontech, a company specializing in arc circuit breakers, has won the prestigious IR52 Jang Young-sil Award in the industrial technology sector for its independently developed slim-type smart arc circuit breaker. This marks the first time an arc circuit breaker has received this award. The company is expanding the market for electrical fire prevention devices by combining precision detection technology that reduces malfunctions with a miniaturized design.

On the 20th, Acontech (CEO Ra Ung-jae) announced that its slim-type smart arc circuit breaker, which applies a malfunction prevention algorithm, has been selected as the winner of the 35th week of the 2025 IR52 Jang Young-sil Award. This award, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, recognizes organizations with outstanding new technology products and technological innovation achievements.

When wires, outlets, power strips, and appliances become outdated or damaged, electrical sparks, known as arcs, can occur, leading to fires. Existing electrical safety devices, such as ground fault circuit interrupters, detect leakage currents but do not filter out arcs. Recent fires at Coupang logistics centers, Bucheon hotels, and Busan apartments have been attributed to arcs. There has been a continuous call for separate devices that detect arcs and cut off power to reduce electrical fires.

Internationally, there is a visible movement to mandate arc circuit breakers. The United States is known to have reduced electrical fires by more than half through mandatory application of related devices, and Canada and Europe are also expanding installations, focusing on major facilities. Arc circuit breakers are becoming standard equipment for electrical fire response.

In South Korea, Acontech was the first to commercialize arc circuit breakers. The company was selected as a First Penguin startup by the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund based on this technological capability. The core of the arc circuit breaker is the precision detection technology that filters out only dangerous arcs that lead to fires. Since arcs can occur even during normal electrical use, setting it too sensitively can lead to repeated unnecessary power cuts, causing significant inconvenience in both daily life and industrial sites. To achieve the level of reliability required in the field, a process of algorithm improvement reflecting accumulated data and real environments over a long period is essential.

The slim-type smart arc circuit breaker, which received the Jang Young-sil Award, is the result of more than 10 years of research and development. It has reduced malfunction issues through a patent-based algorithm, and the product size has been reduced to the same level as existing ground fault circuit interrupters. It can be replaced and installed quickly with just a screwdriver, regardless of building type, without needing to replace the distribution board.

The product has received certifications such as the New Excellent Product (NEP) certification, government procurement excellent product certification, disaster safety product certification, EPC excellent performance certification, and procurement innovation product certification. Acontech is the first in the arc circuit breaker field to secure all these certifications.

Institutional foundations are also accumulating. In 2016, the KS installation standard began recommending the installation of arc circuit breakers, and in 2021, the necessity of arc circuit breakers was highlighted in the Fire Department's performance-based design evaluation operation standard guidelines. In February this year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy issued an administrative notice for the mandatory installation of arc circuit breakers, making discussions at the legal and institutional level more pronounced.

Acontech's arc circuit breakers were first applied to key infrastructure such as railways, aviation, ports, power plants, factories, and public institutions. Recently, the installation range has expanded to residential areas such as houses and apartments, traditional markets and department stores, logistics warehouses, schools, hotels, daycare centers, and facilities for the elderly. The company believes that this expansion will have a direct impact on reducing electrical fires in South Korea.

Ra Ung-jae, CEO of Acontech, expressed his award acceptance, stating, “It is a great honor to receive the IR52 Jang Young-sil Award, the most prestigious industrial technology award, which can be considered the Nobel Prize of South Korea, and I am pleased to reaffirm that Acontech is the No. 1 arc circuit breaker specialist in the country.”

Prior to this award, Acontech had also received the Prime Minister's Commendation and various ministerial and institutional awards. The company plans to continue its role in enhancing the level of electrical fire prevention in South Korea based on its accumulated certifications and award history.

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