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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.

News

News

South Korea discloses hazard assessment results of registered chemicals under K-REACH.
South Korea discloses hazard assessment results of registered chemicals under K-REACH.

On June 28, 2024, the National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) in South Korea disclosed the results of the hazard assessment of registered chemicals in accordance with Article 42 (Disclosure of...

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South Korea discloses pre-registration results under K-REACH.
South Korea discloses pre-registration results under K-REACH.

On July 15, 2024, the Chemical Information Management Support Group in South Korea disclosed the results of pre-registered existing chemical substances in accordance with Article 42 (Disclosure of Chemical Information) of...

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