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South Korea - GHS Status

GHS Status

South Korea implemented the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2013. Currently, the fourth revised edition of the GHS (GHS4) is applied in South Korea under different regulations including the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Act (K-OSHA) and the Standards for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals and Safety Data Sheets. K-OSHA, last updated in 2024, imposes a duty on manufacturers and importers of chemicals supplied to Korea to correctly classify the chemical according to GHS4, label hazardous chemicals in the workplace, and provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). Different authorities implement GHS in South Korea are summarised below:

 

Authority  

Regulations  

Standards  

Applicable to  

MoEL  

Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)  

   

Standard for Classification & Labelling of Chemical Substances & MSDS (Public Notice of MoEL No. 2023-9)  

Chemicals as per GHS hazard classification standards  

   

MoE  

Chemicals Control Act (CCA) &   

Chemical Substance Registration & Evaluation Act (Korean-REACH)  

Regulation on Classification & Labelling of Chemical Substances (National Institute of Environmental Sciences Manuscript No. 2023-65)  

Designated hazardous chemicals  

NEMA  

Dangerous Goods Safety Control Act (Previously Fire Service Act)  

Standards for classification & labelling of dangerous goods (Fire Agency Notice No. 2022-78)  

Chemicals with flammability/ignitability  

 

Local Adaption of GHS

The following GHS hazard categories are exempt from classification under K-OSHA:

  • Flammable gases – Chemically Unstable Gases, Category 1A and 1B

  • Chemicals Under Pressure, all categories

  • Desensitized Explosives, all categories

  • Skin Corrosion/Irritation, Category 3

  • Acute Hazards to the Aquatic Environment, Category 2 and 3

The following GHS hazard categories are not mandatory to separate categories under K-OSHA:

  • Skin Corrosion/Irritation, Category 1A, 1B, and 1C

  • Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation, Category 2A and 2B

  • Respiratory Sensitization, Category 1A and 1B

  • Skin Sensitization, Category 1A and 1B

 

GHS Labelling Requirements

Like many other countries, South Korea also has its own GHS labelling requirements. The requirements are set by the Standards for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals and Safety Data Sheets. Any classified chemical is correctly labelled if the label includes the following in Korean:

  • The product name

  • Any hazard pictogram(s) that is consistent with the correct classification(s) of the chemical.

  • Any signal word that is consistent with the correct classification(s) of the chemical.

  • Any hazard statement(s) that is consistent with the correct classification(s) of the chemical.

  • Any precautionary statement(s) that is consistent with the correct classification(s) of the chemical.

  • The information (name and contact) of either the manufacturer or importer

The label must comply with the following size requirements:

 

Volume of the container or package

Label size

Volume ≥ 500 l

Over 450 cm2

200 l ≤ Volume < 500 l

Over 300 cm2

50 l ≤ Volume < 200 l

Over 180 cm2 

5 l ≤ Volume <50 l

Over 90 cm2 

Volume < 5 l

Over 5% of total surface area of the container or package, excluding the top and bottom areas

 

The following requirements should also be considered:

  • Maximum number of hazard pictogram: 4

  • Similar or repetitive hazard statement can be omitted or combined

  • Similar or precautionary statement can be omitted or combined

  • Maximum number of precautionary statements: 6

 

Safety Data Sheets

Since 16 January 2021, Korean authorities require that manufacturers, importers, or Only Representatives (ORs) appointed by non-Korean manufacturers submit a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) before manufacturing or importing chemical substances. The MSDS must be submitted in Korean Language and follow the fourth revision of UN GHS. If a chemical substance has been placed in the Korean market and an MSDS has been prepared before 16 January 2021, there are grace periods given to submit MSDSs based on the quantity of the substances, as follows:

 

Deadline

Tonnage band

16 January 2022

Over 1000 TPA

16 January 2023

100-1000 TPA

16 January 2024

10-100 TPA

16 January 2025

1-10 TPA

16 January 2026

Below 1 TPA

 

The format and content of an MSDS in South Korea are set by K-OSHA and the Standards for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals and Safety Data Sheets. The requirements for a Korean MSDS are:

  • It must be in Korean (a proper noun such as chemical substance name can be in English).

  • It should contain the 16 standard sections.

  • Additional sections can be added if necessary.

  • For Section 3, content of ingredients can be in a range of +/- 5% P.

  • For Section 10, GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) or KOLAS (Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme) study results should be prioritized. 

 

Focal points:

 

 

Ministry of Labor (MOL)

Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) Ministry of Environment (MOE)

National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs

Main relevant legislation:

Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA); Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA);

Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act (DGSMA);

Standard KSM 1069:2006 (Labelling of Chemicals based on GHS)

GHS implementation status

Transport of dangerous goods

Implemented

For international transport of dangerous goods, see “Implementation through international legal instruments, recommendations, codes and guidelines”

 

For national transport: Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act (DGSMA), which addresses classification and labelling of dangerous goods, and is based on the 15th revised edition of the UN Model Regulations.

Other sectors:

 

Workplace

Implemented

Korea has implemented GHS Rev.4.

  • Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), supported by “Standards for classification and labelling of chemicals and Safety Data Sheets” (Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL) Notice 2016-19)
  • Chemicals Control Act (CCA) and Chemical Substance Registration and Evaluation Act (as amended on 26 May 2020) (Act No.17236)

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) (Act No.16722), was amended in 2019 and will come into force on 16 January 2021. It sets out new obligations for chemical manufacturers and importers, including the disclosure of composition information and submission of safety data sheets (SDS) to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL).

On 12 November 2020, the MoEL published the revised Standards for Classification and labelling of chemical substances and SDS (Notice No.2020-130). The revised standards are aligned with the revised OSHA and will enter into force on 16 January 2021

The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) published several updates to the official list of GHS classifications (NIER notification No.2019-7). These updates included addition of new entries as well as updates on the classification of substances already in the list. The official classifications are mandatory.

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