Korea NICS Revises GHS Classification and Labeling Regulation: 38 Substances Added, Updates Due by July 1, 2027

On September 18, 2026, South Korea’s National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) issued Notification No. 2026-17, partially amending the Regulation on the Classification and Labeling of Chemical Substances, which takes effect on the date of issuance. The amendment was made pursuant to Article 14 (1) of the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH) and Articles 10 (2) 2 (a), 10 (3), 24 and 28 of its Enforcement Rule, as well as Article 16 (1) of the Chemicals Control Act (CCA) and Article 12 (4) of its Enforcement Rule. It adds 38 chemicals identified through K-REACH hazard reviews as substances hazardous to humans, etc. (serial numbers 2026-1-1355 to 2026-1-1392) to Annex 4 (a) (substances hazardous to humans, etc.) of the Regulation, and corrects 9 existing entries. Enterprises concerned must complete labeling updates under Article 16 of the CCA by July 1, 2027.

Background of the Notification

The Regulation on the Classification and Labeling of Chemical Substances is the supporting notification for Korea’s GHS classification and labeling issued by NICS under K-REACH and the CCA. Annex 4 (a) lists the chemicals identified through hazard reviews as human acute hazardous substances, human chronic hazardous substances and ecotoxic hazardous substances, and provides, for each of them, the information required for labeling, such as the GHS hazard classification (categories), pictograms, signal words, hazard statements (H codes) and M-factors. All substances listed in Annex 4 shall be labeled in accordance with GHS by the enterprises concerned pursuant to Article 16 of the CCA and other relevant provisions; the classification and labeling list is developed by NICS in the form of a database and open to the public. The most recent previous amendment of the Regulation was issued on March 27, 2026 (Notification No. 2026-6).

Key Changes of This Revision

In this revision, 38 entries with serial numbers from 2026-1-1355 to 2026-1-1392 were newly added after the entry with serial number 2026-1-1354 in Annex 4 (a), covering various types such as inorganic acids, metal salts, amines, fluorinated esters, and organic peroxides. The serial numbers, CAS numbers, and GHS hazard classifications (categories) of representative substances are summarized in the table below (see Annex 4 of the notification for the complete list):

More than half of the 38 newly added substances are assigned hazardous to the aquatic environment – acute or chronic categories.

In addition, this revision corrects the substance names, hazard classifications, labeling elements, and other details of 9 existing entries. The entries involved and their representative substances (CAS numbers) are shown in the table below:

Effective Date and Labeling Transition Period

This notification takes effect on the date of issuance (September 18, 2026). According to the addenda, enterprises required to label hazardous chemicals as a result of the implementation of this Regulation shall complete the corresponding labeling in accordance with Article 16 of the CCA by July 1, 2027, which sets a labeling transition period of about nine and a half months for the newly added and corrected substances. Products whose labeling updates are not completed by the deadline will face the market risk of labels not conforming to Korea’s GHS requirements.

ChemRadar Insights

In view of this revision, enterprises engaged in the production, export, and use of chemicals exported to Korea are advised to carry out the following work as soon as possible:

1. Screen the substances involved: check against the classification and labeling list in Annex 4 of the notification whether any components of products exported to Korea have been newly listed (serial numbers 2026-1-1355 to 2026-1-1392) or have had their classifications corrected, using CAS numbers as the authoritative reference;
2. Update labels and SDSs: for the substances involved, update the Korean-language labels in accordance with the revised hazard classifications, pictograms, signal words, hazard statements (H codes) and M-factors, and check the corresponding SDS content at the same time, to complete the updates before the transition period expires on July 1, 2027;
3. Follow up on updates: the classification and labeling list is continuously maintained and updated by NICS; enterprises are advised to regularly follow subsequent notifications on the NICS website and keep track of changes to the substance list and hazard classifications.

CIRS Services

CIRS provides compliance support related to Korea GHS classification and labeling for chemical manufacturers and exporters. Relevant services include:

• Preparation of SDSs and labels in compliance with the Korea GHS standard, and SDS submission.

Further information

Gov.