Partial Amendments to K-REACH and CCA Enforcement Decrees Approved
Classification of toxic substances subdivided for customized regulations
Consumer handling regulations for hazardous chemicals relaxed for daily use
Domestic agent system introduced to simplify import procedures for chemical substances
Going forward, the classification system for toxic substances will be subdivided to enable customized regulations. The potential harm caused by human-hazardous substances upon skin exposure will be specified according to time intervals, enhancing the precision of management. Regulations on hazardous chemical substances, which were previously applied excessively in daily life, have been improved to increase field acceptance by taking both safety and convenience into consideration.
On July 29, the Ministry of Environment announced that the Cabinet had approved partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the “Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (K-REACH)” and the “Chemical Control Act (CCA).” The amended enforcement decrees will take effect from August 7.
The core of the recent amendment to the K-REACH Enforcement Decree is the subdivision of toxic substances, which were previously designated under a single system, into three categories: substances with acute human toxicity, substances with chronic human toxicity, and substances with ecological toxicity. It is expected that this will enable differentiated management according to toxicity as well as customized regulations reflecting the characteristics of each substance.
In particular, for substances with acute human toxicity, additional strengthened items have been included. Specifically, substances classified as skin corrosive “1B” (necrosis within 1 hour) and “1C” (necrosis within 4 hours), as well as “specific target organ toxicity” substances, have been newly added. Skin corrosivity refers to substances that can cause necrosis of the dermis after short-term exposure to the skin. Previously, only the 1A grade was applied under a single system, but the categories have now been further subdivided to enhance the precision of management. In addition, the amendment includes expanding the disclosure of chemical substance information that does not constitute a company’s trade secret.
Emergency Inspection of Chemical Substance Leakage Due to Heavy Rainfall(Gyeongju=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Hyuntae = On the 21st, officials from the Chemical Safety Management Team of the Daegu Regional Environmental Office conducted an emergency inspection for possible chemical substance leakage caused by heavy rainfall at a hazardous chemical storage facility of a manufacturing company in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk Province. The Daegu Environmental Office has been conducting special inspections of venues and nearby hazardous chemical handling businesses since this month to prevent chemical accidents and terrorism during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
July 21, 2025
mtkht@yna.co.kr (End)
Photo by Kim Hyuntae
The amendment to the CCA Enforcement Decree is characterized by the relaxation of consumer handling regulations for hazardous chemical substances. When hazardous chemical substances are used for immediate consumer purposes, obligations such as prohibiting mixed storage and wearing personal protective equipment are exempted.
The procedure for verifying imported substances will also be improved. To simplify the import process for chemical substances manufactured and exported by overseas producers, a domestic agent system has been introduced. Obligations such as verification and reporting, which previously had to be fulfilled by the chemical substance importer, can now be carried out by the domestic agent of the overseas producer. Furthermore, when substances are manufactured or imported as reagents for testing, research, or inspection purposes, the reporting obligation will be exempted.
The Ministry of Environment evaluated that this amendment to the enforcement decrees has enhanced the overall effectiveness of the system and established balanced policies that consider both safety and convenience. Park Yeonjae, Director-General of Health Policy at the Ministry of Environment, stated, “This amendment to the K-REACH and CCA enforcement decrees is an important opportunity to make the chemical substance management system more sophisticated and systematic. By revising regulations that were excessively applied in daily life, we will increase field acceptance and continue to reduce unnecessary burdens on consumers and sellers.”
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