On January 30, 2026, the Korea National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) issued Announcement No. 2026-1, officially amending the Chemical Hazard Assessment Results. This revision follows the statutory procedures of the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH). It aims to promptly announce the hazard assessment results for registered chemicals and update information for substances whose data protection periods have expired, among other reasons, thereby enhancing chemical management transparency and public safety.
Key Revisions
The amendment primarily involves four main aspects:
- Addition of New Hazard Assessment Results: Information for 56 substances that have completed hazard assessment has been added to Appendix 2 (Existing Chemical Substances section) of the Announcement. Each entry lists the unique registration number, chemical name, CAS number, and announces whether it is classified as a hazardous substance, its specific classification and labelling, physicochemical properties, and detailed hazard data.
- Revision of Existing Substance Information: Based on newly acquired data, hazard information for five existing chemical substances already listed in Appendix 2 has been updated and revised.
- Publication of Completed Assessment List: As part of the regular procedure, the list of all chemicals that have completed hazard assessment is announced, containing key information such as their names (and CAS numbers), whether they are hazardous to human health, and their primary hazards.
- Disclosure of Substances with Expired Protection: Due to the expiration of the statutory data protection period (until 2024), the specific names and CAS numbers of 67 previously confidential new chemical substances are now publicly disclosed in Appendix 1 (New Chemical Substances section) of this revision. Additionally, information for 2 substances requiring correction due to duplicate announcements has been published.
Call for Comments
Any individual, organization, or group wishing to comment on the amendment must submit a written document specifying the proposed changes and the reasoning to NICS by February 19, 2026. Contact details are: Phone 032-560-8676/8690, Fax 032-568-2038.
Compliance Implications
Relevant companies should immediately check the published appendices to verify if any chemical substances they manufacture, import, or use are listed and note their updated hazard classifications. Furthermore, if a substance is newly classified as hazardous or its classification changes, Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and product labels must be promptly updated to ensure compliance with South Korean chemical management regulations.
