South Korea issues a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rule on the Wastes Control Act.

On August 3, 2023, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) in South Korea announced that it will issue a preliminary legislative notice of draft partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rule on the Wastes Control Act and its implementing regulations. The MOE will hold a legislative preview for the amendments from August 4, 2023, to September 15, 2023.  

These amendments aim to rationalize regulations and unify the procedures for the collection, transportation, and disposal of waste, including hazardous chemicals, will be unified under the Waste Control Act. Related standards will be reorganized to prevent gaps in safety management, and related regulations such as electric vehicle waste batteries and carbon dioxide collection will be improved to reflect the improvement and supplementation requirements raised in the system operation process. This includes revitalizing the circulation of waste resources and expanding the use of new technologies. 

It is intended to unify the management system by including restricted substances, licensed substances, prohibited substances, and substances requiring preparation for accidents among hazardous chemicals in the waste classification system, and to clearly define that human secretion themselves are included in general medical waste.