South Korea designates consumer chemical products as subject to safety verification.

On March 26, 2024, the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its decision to designate certain consumer chemical products subject to safety verification and to establish standards for their safety and labeling.

Reason for the Revision

The reason for the revision is that in the case of products with ambiguous judgment as to whether they are food misunderstood or confused, it is necessary to prepare devices such as a committee to finally determine whether they meet safety standards, and if the weight and capacity of living chemicals decrease while the price of consumer chemical products remains the same, consumers cannot easily know the change.

The partial amendment includes the following:

- Establishment of a Committee to assess consumer chemical products that are mistaken for food

- Indication of changes in product weight and capacity, etc.

Timeline

The amendment is open for comments until April 16, 2024. The proposed date for adaptation of the amendment is May 31, 2024, and the enforcement date of the amendment is January 1, 2025.