From the "Axe Dater":


"Korean Squiers:

<snip>

Exceptions:

Pro-Tone Series (solid ash bodies) had serial numbers with either a) no preceding letters and 7 digits, with the first number being the year, or b) starting with KC for Korea[n] Cort, followed by 2-digit year.


<snip>

The KC and KV forms are apparently associated with the change to Crafted in Korea. So, post-1996 models only would have this form of serial number."