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South Korea’s Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substance, commonly referred to as K-REACH, is now in effect. The Ministerial Decree implementing K-REACH was published in the Official Gazette on December 24, 2014. K-REACH requires that any entity that manufactures, imports, or sells new and/or existing chemicals in South Korea, at greater than or equal to 1 ton per annum, report annually volume and use details unless otherwise exempt. In addition, all non-exempt new chemicals and designated existing substances must be registered and reported annually under K-REACH. Companies must submit information regarding the manufacturer/importer, chemical identification, intended uses, classification and labeling, physical and chemical properties, hazard and risk information, safety data, and use-related exposure information when applying for registration.
The Acta Group (Acta®), along with our partner in Seoul, South Korea, Sustainable Health, Environment, and Safety Chemical Consulting (SHES), presented a webinar in December to assist companies in preparing for the new regulation, and we have posted a number of valuable, in-depth resources from that webinar on our “Chemical Regulation in South Korea” web page:
- An online English translation of “The Act” establishing K-REACH;
- A Draft List of Chemicals for Registration under K-REACH;
- Information on requesting the audio recording of the webinar and presentation slides from the Acta webinar “K-REACH: What You Need to Know to Do Business in South Korea in 2015”; and
- Questions & Answers from Acta’s K-REACH webinar — We had many more questions from participants than we were able to address in the time allotted, so we have provided the answers to the additional questions we received.
Information on complying with K-REACH can also be found in the book Global Chemical Control Handbook: A Guide to Chemical Management Programs, written by the attorneys, scientists, and regulatory professionals of Acta and affiliated law firm Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. and others, and published by the American Bar Association. Visit our website for more information about this regulatory handbook, which includes a chapter on K-REACH and other Asian regulatory programs.
We hope you find these resources useful. Our team of regulatory consultants, scientists, and policy experts, located in the U.S., the European Union, and Asia, has tracked and has been engaged in the legislative and policy developments in South Korea’s adoption of K-REACH and can assist companies in gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage now that the new law is in effect. Please contact Acta President Lynn L. Bergeson at (202) 266-5021 or lbergeson@actagroup.com, or Acta Director of Regulatory Affairs Leslie S. MacDougall at (804) 744-4111 or lmacdougall@actagroup.com.