The Ministry of Environment of Korea (MoE) published the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc of Chemical Substances (known as K-REACH) on January 1, 2015. K-REACH aims to protect public health and the environment. This is achieved by four procedures: notification or registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals.

Under K-REACH, manufacturers or importers of a new chemical substance must register the substances before manufacturing or importing. Substances less than 100 Kg/year only require notification and do not need to go through hazard evaluation. 

Manufacturers or importers of a Priority Existing Chemicals (PEC) substance must register the substances before manufacturing or importing. Pre-registration of PEC substances is impossible as the transition period has already passed.

Existing substances above 1 Tonne Per Annum (TPA) must be registered within grace periods. Only companies that carried out pre-registration can be entitled to the grace periods. The grace periods vary based on the tonnage band. After the grace periods for each tonnage band, existing substances within that tonnage band cannot be registered, and they should be noted before placing the substances in Korea.

In addition to K-REACH, GPC Korea also provides the following services: 

K-BPR

The Consumer Chemical Products and Biocide Safety Management Law (known as K-BPR) concerns the placing on the market and using hazardous consumer chemicals and biocidal products, which aims to protect public health and the environment from these chemicals and products.  K-BPR was taken into force on January 1, 2019, and its recent amendment was promulgated on March 24, and May 26, 2020. Its enforcement will start on January 1, 2021.

Cosmetic Act

The Cosmetic Act in South Korea aims to develop the cosmetics industry and improve public health. It has been enforced since July 1, 2000, and the recent amendment came into force on April 7, 2020.

KOSHA & MSDS

MSDS is one part of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (KOSHA). The purpose of this Act is to maintain and promote the safety and health of people providing labor by establishing stands on industrial safety and health.