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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.  (The last update on 2024. 07. 10.). 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 (1t/year from January 1, 2025) 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 pre-registered, and they should be registered before placing the substances in Korea.

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South Korea revises the Regulations on the Stipulated Quantity of Toxic Substances Restricted Substances Prohibited Substances and Permitted Substances.
South Korea revises the Regulations on the Stipulated Quantity of Toxic Substances Restricted Substances Prohibited Substances and Permitted Substances.

On July 10, 2023, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of South Korea published an Administrative Notice of Partial Amendment to the Regulations on the Stipulated Quantities for Toxic Substances, Restricted Substances,...

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

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