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The Ministry of Environment of Korea (MoE) enacted the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (K-REACH) on January 1, 2015 (last updated on July 10, 2024). K-REACH aims to protect public health and the environment through four key regulatory procedures: notification or registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemical substances.
Under K-REACH, manufacturers or importers of new chemical substances must register the substances before manufacture or import.
New chemical substances below 1 tonne per year (increased from 100 kg/year as of January 1, 2025) are subject to notification instead of registration and do not require hazard evaluation.
Manufacturers or importers of Priority Existing Chemical (PEC) substances must register the substances before manufacture or import.
Pre-registration of PEC substances is no longer possible, as the applicable transition period has already expired.
Existing chemical substances manufactured or imported at 1 tonne per annum (TPA) or more must be registered within the applicable grace periods. Only companies that have completed pre-registration are eligible for these grace periods, which vary depending on the tonnage band.
Once the applicable grace period for a tonnage band has expired, existing substances within that tonnage band can no longer be pre-registered and must be registered before manufacture or import in Korea.
Regulatory Briefing
Chemical inventories in South Korea are regulated under the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (ARECS), commonly known as K-REACH [136].
News
South Korea Proposes K-REACH Amendments to Improve Transparency and Efficiency
On February 5, 2025, a group of 13 congressmen in South Korea proposed amendments to the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (also known as K-REACH). The purpose of...
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South Korea Notifies WTO of Proposed Amendment to Imported Food Safety Rules
On March 18, 2025, the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a proposed amendment to the Enforcement Rule of the Special...
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Downloadable Content
- A Guide On The Amendment Of The Act On Registration, Evaluation, Etc. Of Chemicals On January 1, 2019 (korean)
- The List Of 332 Substances That Require Prompt Cico Establishment (english)
- Cosmetics Actionable Summary
- Food Contact Material Actionable Summary - South Korea
- Actionable Summary K-REACH 2025
- K-REACH Act (korean)
- K-REACH Act (english)
- K-REACH Enforcement Rule (english)
- Kosha Act (korean)
- Kosha Act (english)
- Kosha Enforcement Decree (english)
- Cosmetic Act (korean)
- Cosmetic Act Enforcement Decree (english)
- Cosmetic Act Enforcement Rule (english)
- Cosmetic Act Enforcement Decree (korean)
- Cosmetic Act Enforcement Rule (korean)
- K-REACH Enforcement Decree (korean)
- K-REACH Enforcement Rule (korean)
- Kosha Enforcement Decree (korean)
- A Guide On The Amendment Of The Act On Registration Evaluation Etc. Of Chemicals On January 1 2019 (english)
- Draft Amendment To The Public Notice On Hazard Assessment Results For New And Existing Substances_kr