On May 28, 2024, the Ministry of Environment, led by Minister Han Hwa-jin, announced plans to sign an agreement with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to promote international cooperation projects for the development of a Korean version of the QSAR Toolbox, a computer program for predicting chemical toxicity.

Developed jointly by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU), this program aims to minimize animal testing by predicting the toxicity of chemicals without the need for actual animal testing.

Key points about the QSAR Toolbox

• Purpose: To prepare for the demand for chemical testing following the implementation of the chemicals management system (REACH).
• Functionality: Predicts the toxicity of chemicals and provides test data or assists in the development of new substances required for chemical registration.
• Specifications: The QSAR Toolbox includes 70 profilers that identify chemical characteristics and 59 databases with information on chemical structures and physical and biological properties.
• Toxicity prediction: It can predict various toxicities, including acute toxicity, genetic toxicity, skin sensitivity, and aquatic toxicity.

Current Challenges and Future Goals

Until now, the Korean version of the program was not available, and companies had to use the English version. This posed challenges due to a lack of knowledge of English terminology and additional costs when seeking professional advice.

The Ministry of Environment aims to release the Korean version by 2027, following an agreement with the OECD. The aim is to reduce animal testing and improve animal welfare while ensuring accurate chemical registration. Detailed guidelines for each toxic category will also be provided for the convenience of the industry.