On August 6, 2025, the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor (MoEL) announced the revision of the Standards for Classification, Labeling, and Material Safety Data Sheets of Chemical Substances (MoEL Notice No. 2025-50). The revision took effect from August 7, 2025.
This revision updates the detailed items and entry requirements for Safety Data Sheets (SDS) due to the amendments made to the K-REACH in 2024 (Notice No. 20232, implemented on August 7, 2025). Furthermore, on August 7, 2025, the National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) under the Ministry of Environment issued Notice No. 2025-19, changing the Notice on Designation of Toxic Substances to the Notice on Designation of Acute Hazardous Substances to Human Health, Chronic Hazardous Substances to Human Health, and Ecological Hazardous Substances, and updated the list of classified hazardous substances. Consequently, the GHS standards were revised to align with these new K-REACH requirements.
The main revisions are as follows:
Modifications of Specific Statements
- Modification of the sample description for Self-heating substances and mixtures, Category 1
Old: Substances or mixtures which give a positive result in a test using a 25 mm cube sample at 140°C.
New: Substances or mixtures which give a positive result in a test using a 25 mm cube sample (sample cube) at 140°C.
- Oxidizing Solids, Category 1, using test O.3 criteria
Old: Substances or mixtures which, in the 4:1 or 1:1 sample-to-cellulose ratio test, exhibit a mean burning time less than that of a 3:1 mixture (by mass) of calcium peroxide and cellulose.
New: Substances or mixtures which, in the 4:1 or 1:1 sample-to-cellulose ratio test, exhibit a mean burning rate greater than that of a 3:1 mixture (by mass) of calcium peroxide and cellulose.
- Oxidizing Solids, Category 2, using test O.3 criteria
Old: Substances or mixtures which, in the 4:1 or 1:1 sample-to-cellulose ratio test, exhibit a mean burning time less than that of a 1:1 mixture (by mass) of calcium peroxide and cellulose and which do not meet the criteria for Category 1.
New: Substances or mixtures which, in the 4:1 or 1:1 sample-to-cellulose ratio test, exhibit a mean burning rate greater than that of a 1:1 mixture (by mass) of calcium peroxide and cellulose and which do not meet the criteria for Category 1.
- Oxidizing Solids, Category 3, using test O.3 criteria
Old: Substances or mixtures which, in the 4:1 or 1:1 sample-to-cellulose ratio test, exhibit a mean burning time less than that of a 1:2 mixture (by mass) of calcium peroxide and cellulose and which do not meet the criteria for Category 1 and Category 2.
New: Substances or mixtures which, in the 4:1 or 1:1 sample-to-cellulose ratio test, exhibit a mean burning rate greater than that of a 1:2 mixture (by mass) of calcium peroxide and cellulose and which do not meet the criteria for Category 1 and Category 2.
- Serious eye damage/eye irritation, Category 1
Old: ① Mixtures containing a total of 3% or more of ingredients classified as Serious eye damage (Category 1) or Skin corrosion (Category 1) (Note 1); ② Mixtures where the sum of the following is 3% or more:The total content (%) of ingredients classified as Skin corrosion (Category 1), and the total content (%) of ingredients classified as Serious eye damage (Category 1)
Note 1: If an ingredient is classified as both Skin corrosion (Category 1) and Serious eye damage (Category 1), its concentration is counted only once.
New: ① Mixtures containing a total of 3% or more of ingredients classified as Serious eye damage (Category 1) or Skin corrosion (Category 1) (Note 1); ② Mixtures where the sum of the following is 3% or more (Note 1):The total content (%) of ingredients classified as Skin corrosion (Category 1), and the total content (%) of ingredients classified as Serious eye damage (Category 1)
Note 1: If an ingredient is classified as both Skin corrosion (Category 1) and Serious eye damage (Category 1), its concentration is counted only once.
Modification of Transport Pictograms
Flammable Liquids UN GHS Transport Pictogram (RTDG):
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Old Version |
New Version |
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Flammable Liquid |
Flammable Liquid |
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Addition of Regulatory Information Requirements
Revised the content of Section 15 (Regulatory information) in the SDS example provided in Appendix 4.
A new mandatory item has been added to Section 15 (Regulatory information): Relevant regulations of the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals. This means that from July 1, 2026, SDS must update Section 15 content according to the new requirements and the revised K-REACH Act. Until June 30, 2026, it is permissible to continue preparing SDS according to the old example format, placing K-REACH regulatory information under other regulatory headings within Section 15.
Further Information
