South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MoE) officially publises the first priority existing chemicals (PEC) list totaling 510 substances on 1 July 2015.

For manufacturers/importers of substances in the list, they shall perform the registration obligation within three years if manufacturing/importing amount exceeds 1 tonne/year, otherwise such manufacturing and importing will be deemed as illegal and relevant partiebe punished under the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH). But enterprises can still manufacture or import such products within the three-year transitional period.

It is notable that MOE adds 해당 화학물질의 수화물도 등록대상기존화학물질에 포함” on the publised list, indicating hydrates shall be registered if existing in the 510 substances. It is quite different from EU REACH, under which hydrates may be exempted from registration if the chemical itself completes registration. However, K-REACH deems substance and its hydrate as two different substances that shall be in separate registration.

CIRS experts suggest enterprises to look up the list of 510 substances to confirm that whether your products are obliged to register. You may also send an e-mail to info@cirs-group.com for help if you find it difficult to confirm. For enterprises whose products are included in the list, registration for K-REACH shall be completed as soon as possible, while others shall keep following up K-REACH Regulation. The second and third lists of 510 priority existing chemicals are expected to be publised in 2018 and 2021.