Introduction to South Korea REACH Regulation

The Ministry of Environment of Korea (MoE) published the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc of Chemical Substances (known as K-REACH) on January 1, 2015. K-REACH aims to protect public health and the environment. This is achieved by four procedures: notification or registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals.

Under K-REACH, manufacturers or importers of a new chemical substance need to register the substances before manufacture or import. Substances less than 100 Kg/year only require notification and do not need to go through hazard evaluation. 

Manufacturers or importers of a Priority Existing Chemicals (PEC) substance must register the substances before manufacturing or importing. Pre-registration of PEC substances is impossible as the transition period has already passed.

Existing substances above 1 Tonne Per Annum (TPA) must be registered within grace periods. Only companies that carried out pre-registration can be entitled to the grace periods. The grace periods vary based on the tonnage band. After the grace periods for each tonnage band, existing substances within that tonnage band cannot be registered, and they should be registered before placing the substances in Korea.

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South Korea Announces Major Overhaul of Hazardous Chemical Facility Regulations

Jun-26-2025

On June 18, 2025, South Korea issued an official notice outlining a complete revision of the national regulation titled,...

On June 18, 2025, South Korea issued an official notice outlining a complete revision of the national regulation titled, “Notification on the Installation and Management of Facilities for the Manufacture, Use, and Storage of Hazardous Chemicals”. This comprehensive amendment is part of an ongoing effort to enhance chemical safety and modernize risk management practices in line with recent legislative changes under the Chemical Substances Control Act (K-CCA).

The purpose of the regulatory update is to subordinate newly introduced categorization of toxic substances (those with acute or chronic human toxicity, and ecotoxic substances) and specify the standards for each category. The key aspects of the amendment include:

Consolidation of existing notifications.

Establishment of differentiated facility standards based on categories.

Improvement of weakness and operational deficiencies in the current standards.

Key Amendments

This legislative revision aims to improve safety and regulatory efficiency in several critical areas:

Integration of Related Notifications

The revised notification consolidates and restructures safety standards, shifting the focus from manufacturing and usage facilities to storage facilities.

This integration provides a clearer regulatory framework by aligning the rules with specific facility types and hazard classifications, ensuring consistency across different stages of chemical handling.

Differentiated Facility Standards Based on Categories

The revised standards introduce tailored technical requirements according to the types of chemical hazards: human acute toxicity, human chronic toxicity, and ecological toxicity.

Facility criteria are now categorized into three detailed annexes (Annexes 1–3), each corresponding to a specific hazard class. This differentiation allows for more precise risk management and facility design based on the chemical properties involved.

Improved Safety and Operational Guidelines for Chemical Handling Facilities

New safety protocols focus on storage-specific risks, including enhanced requirements for leakage detection, emergency response systems, spill containment, ventilation, labeling, and access control.

Operational guidelines have been updated to include detailed procedures for receiving, storing, and tracking chemicals.

A transitional grace period has been introduced for certain high-risk substances, allowing facilities time to comply with newly mandated emission control systems.

Public Comments

Stakeholders, including businesses, industry associations, academic institutions, and individuals, are encouraged to review the proposed amendment and provide feedback. Comments must be submitted in writing to the National Institute of Chemical Safety by July 7, 2025.

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