The Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (known as Korea REACH) passed the plenary session of the National Assembly in Korea on April 30, 2013 and has come into force on Jan 1, 2015. The purpose of this Act is to protect public health and the environment through these provisions:

• Registration of chemical Substances;
• Screening of hazardous chemical substances;
• Hazard and risk assessment of products containing chemical substances and hazardous substances;
• Sharing information of chemical substance.

The Ministry of Environment (MoE) is responsible for the registration and evaluation of chemical substance under this Act.

Updated in December 2018 , existing chemicals subject to registration is to be expanded. The Korean authority will establish registration terms for all existing chemicals (about 7,000 kinds) whose amount of manufacturing and importing is 1 ton or above a year (amendment of Enforcement Decree of Act on Registration, Evaluation, Etc. of Chemicals).

Registration deadline : 510 Priority Existing Chemicals ('18) → 1,000 or more tons/year & 1 or above tons/year of CMR (’21) → 100 or more tons/year (’24) → 10 or above tons/year (’27) → 1 or above tons/year (’30)

News updates

In order to accelerate the joint-submission, a system (pre-registration system) will be established for confirming company that is to register in advance to smoothly conduct joint registration.

The amendment of the Act on Reg Evaluation etc. of Chemical substances (come into effect on Janv. 1^st, 2019

Please find here a leaflet dedicated to this amendment with more information