On August 31, 2023, the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of the draft partial amendment of the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rule of the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances. The amendment will affect new and existing chemical substances, polymers, nanomaterials, and substances subject to intensive control.

Both amendments are open for comments for 60 days from the notification date. The proposed date for adaptation and enforcement of the amendments is January 4, 2024. The partial amendment contains the following:

1. Enforcement Decree:

Name of Law: "Draft partial amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances"

- Major Contents:

A. Delegation of Authority and Entrustment of Affairs etc (Articles 21, 22, and 31)

1) ORs are enabled for the tasks of reporting changes in substances subject to intensive control contained in the product and the newly amended duty

2) The tasks of reporting changes in substances subject to intensive control contained in the product and the newly amended duty could be done via the online system operated by the government.

3) Reporting changes of substances subject to intensive control contained in a product should be submitted to the heads of regional environmental offices

B. Criteria for Imposition of Administrative Fine (Attachment 6)

1) Depending on how many times a person has failed to report the changes of substances subject to intensive control contained in the product and the newly amended duty, a maximum of 10,000,000 KRW fine will be given.

2. Enforcement Rule:

Name of Law: "Draft partial amendment of the Enforcement Rule of the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances"

- Major Contents:

A. Simplification of provision of information on chemical substances (Article 36)

1) For any substances that have been registered without CSR, instead of registered numbers, whether registered could be written on MSDS for provision of information.

B. Criteria for reporting changes in substances subject to intensive control contained in the product (Article 43)

1) When the number of substances subject to intensive control contained in a product changes more than 50%, the substance needs to be reported for changes.

2) No need to report changes when the amount of change is less than 50%

C. Criteria for Fee (Attachment 11)

1) The reporting fee for the initial notification of SSICCP is set to be 20,000 KRW, reporting fee for the changes of the notification of SSICCP is set to be 15,000 KRW

The National Institute of Chemical Safety (Director Park Bong-kyun) formed a consortium for handling facility standards with experts, industries, and civil society to improve the standards of hazardous chemical handling facilities and held a launching ceremony on August 18, 2023, at the National Institute of Chemical Safety. 

The expert consultative body was promoted to prepare for the revision of 15 types of handling facility standards, including the "Notification on the Installation and Management of Hazardous Chemicals Manufacturing and Use Facilities." 

Since early July, the National Institute of Chemical Safety has received recommendations for 10 participants in the expert consultative body from inspection agencies, academia, industry, and civil society. 

The consultative body consists of a total of 15 members, including 5 ex officio members, including the Ministry of Environment's Chemical Safety Division, 3 experts from inspection institutions, 3 experts recommended by industry, and 4 experts recommended by academia and civil society recommendations. 

The expert consultative body will operate until the end of 2024, and discussions will be held at least once a month to prepare standards for handling facilities considering the level of hazard and risk of chemicals. 

The consultative body will discuss technical standards that can minimize the occurrence and damage of chemical accidents, detailed items of facility standards according to acute, chronic, and ecological hazards, and handling facility standards according to physical risks. 

The first discussion, which followed the inauguration ceremony, had time to share the "direction of reorganization of toxic substance designation management system and handling facility standards" and the current status of implementation. 

Based on the discussion of the consultative body, the National Institute of Chemical Safety will prepare a standard notice for manufacturing, use, and storage facilities by December 2023 and announce it at the Chemical Safety Policy Forum.