The Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc of Chemical Substances(K-REACH) was promulgated on 22 May 2013 by the Ministry of Environment in South Korea and it comes into force on 1 Jan 2015. The Act is also well-known as Korea REACH due to its similarity to the EU REACH regulation.
K-REACH is not difficult to understand!
Under K-REACH, any person who intends to manufacture or import a new chemical substance or at least one ton per year of a designated existing chemical substance subject to registration shall register the chemical substance before he/she manufactures or imports. K-REACH also sets out requirements for companies to report the volume and uses of substances they manufacture/import and notify products containing hazardous chemicals substance. Foreign manufacturers who export chemical substances to Korea may appoint a Korea-based only representative to submit annual report or registrations or product notifications.
The picture below is an overview of K-REACH.
To understand the impact of Korea REACH on your business, you only need to:
- Check if your products are within the scope of Korea REACH;
- Identity your obligations under Korea REACH;
Differences Between K-REACH and EU-REACH
Scope of K-REACH
K-REACH applies to both new substance, existing substance and product.
1.'New substance' is a substance that is not listed on Korean Existing Chemicals List(KECL). More info about KECLcan be found here.
2.'Product' is a unique concept under K-REACH. A product means a mixture or an article used by consumers or a component of the mixture or the article that may expose consumers to chemical substances.
3.'Product of risk concern' means a chemical product annouced by the Ministry of Environment due to its potential to pose risks to human health and the environment. There are two main categories: consumer-use chemicals(detergent, etc.) and biocides(disinfectant, etc.).
4. K-REACH does not specify that articles(car,etc.) are outside of the scope. However, articles that do not contain any substances intended to be released are exempt from most of K-REACH obligations such as reporting, registration and product notification.
Industry's Obligations under K-REACH
Most of K-REACH obligations fall on manufacturers and importers in Korea. Foreign manufacturers may appoint Korea-based only representatives to comply with K-REACH
How to comply with K-REACH
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