On April 28, 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Climate and Energy Environment (MCEE), pursuant to the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH), officially issued Notice No. 2026-103 revising the Existing Chemical Substances List. The notice takes effect from the date of issuance.
Previously, on March 26, 2026, MCEE released a draft for public consultation, with the comment period closing on April 16, 2026. The final revisions are consistent with the draft.
The main revisions are as follows:
- In Schedule 1, the name of the existing chemical substance with KE number KE-03115 is changed from Bis(2,3-epoxypropy)terephthalate (CAS No. 7195-44-0) to Bis(2,3-epoxypropyl)terephthalate (CAS No. 7195-44-0).
- In Schedule 2, for the existing chemical substance with KE number 2010-3-4455 – 2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-propanediol polymer with 3-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylpropanoic acid, 1,1'-methylenebis[4-isocyanatocyclohexane], 5-isocyanato-1-(isocyanatomethyl)-1,3,3-trimethylcyclohexane, dimethylcarbonate, 1,6-hexanediol and 2-oxepanone – CAS No. 918866-78-1 is added.
- In Schedule 2, the name of the existing chemical substance with KE number 2011-3-5317 is changed from N,N-Bis[2-(4-dimethylaminobenzoyl)oxyethyl]-N-methylamine to 1,1'-[(Methylimino)di-2,1-ethanediyl]bis[4-(dimethylamino)benzoate], and CAS No. 925246-00-0 is added.
- In Schedule 2, 136 existing chemical substances previously announced under generic names due to confidential business information (CBI) protection have had their original chemical names restored upon expiry of the protection period. These include KE numbers 2011-3-5056, 2011-3-5057, 2011-3-5058, and others.
CIRS Reminder
Companies should promptly check the changes to the list. For existing chemical substances affected by name or CAS number changes, confirm whether your products contain any of these substances and update relevant compliance documents and SDS. In particular, pay close attention to the 136 substances whose original names have been restored after the expiry of the data protection period. Re-evaluate these substances to determine whether registration or exemption applications are still required.
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