On October 15, 2026, South Korea's National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) issued administrative notice No. 2026-103 to solicit public comments, under Article 21 of the Korean Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH) and Article 28 of its Enforcement Rules, on a partial amendment to the Results of Hazard Review of Chemical Substances (NICS Notice No. 2026-15, issued on September 2, 2026), with comments due by November 4, 2026. The amendment proposes to add the hazard review results of 46 new chemical substances that have completed hazard review and the evaluation result of 1 hazardous concern substance, and to update hazard information such as classification and labelling for 63 substances.
Background
The Results of Hazard Review of Chemical Substances is the standing vehicle through which NICS discloses hazard review and evaluation results under K-REACH, listing for each substance that has completed review (evaluation) its name (CAS number), whether it is designated as a human health and other hazard substance, GHS classification and labelling, physicochemical properties, and human health and environmental hazard data. According to the notice, the name, hazards, designation status as human health and other hazard substances, and classification and labelling of chemical substances registered or evaluated under K-REACH must all be disclosed to the public. This amendment serves to implement these requirements and to reflect newly obtained hazard data from registration amendments and other changes.
Newly Added Hazard Review Results of 46 New Chemical Substances
Item 1 of Annex 1 adds 46 substances with unique numbers from 2026-80 to 2026-125, all of them new chemical substances that completed hazard review between March and May 2026; the notice publishes their GHS classification and labelling, physicochemical properties, and human health and environmental hazard data substance by substance. Many of them have been designated as human health and other hazard substances or ecological hazard substances. Examples include:
- Unique numbers 2026-102 and 2026-103 (oligomeric reaction products based on 1,1'-methylene bis(4-isocyanatobenzene) (MDI), no CAS number assigned): GHS classification includes acute toxicity – inhalation Category 3, respiratory sensitization Category 1, carcinogenicity Category 2, and specific target organ toxicity – repeated exposure Category 2; the substances are human acute hazard substances.
- Unique number 2026-107 (N-(C13-15 branched and linear alkyl) derivatives of 2,2'-iminobisethanol, CAS No. 97925-95-6): classification includes skin corrosion/irritation Category 1B, reproductive toxicity Category 1B, and hazardous to the aquatic environment – acute Category 1 and chronic Category 1; the substance is simultaneously a human acute hazard substance, a human chronic hazard substance, and an ecological hazard substance.
- Unique number 2026-93 (1,5-naphthalenediamine, CAS No. 2243-62-1): both the bacterial reverse mutation test and the chromosome aberration test yielded positive results; the notice notes that, given genotoxicity concerns, care should be taken to avoid human exposure during handling.
Beyond the new listings, 30 already-listed new chemical substances (30 substances including unique numbers 2015-25 to 2026-55) have had their classification, labelling, and hazard data updated in the same amendment, following registration amendments or newly obtained hazard data. For example, the carcinogenicity of the substance with unique number 2023-28 (a reaction mass of anthraquinone derivatives) is now classified as Category 1.
Existing Chemical Substances: 1 Classification Revision, 2 Typographical Corrections, and Unique Numbers Confirmed for 30 Hazard Substances
Item 2 of Annex 1 (existing chemical substances) covers 33 substances in total, including the following:
- p-Toluidine (CAS No. 106-49-0; new chemical unique number 2021-142; existing substance unique number KE-23448) has its classification and labelling revised; the revised classification includes acute toxicity – oral/dermal/inhalation Category 3, serious eye damage/eye irritation Category 2, skin sensitization Category 1, carcinogenicity Category 2, and hazardous to the aquatic environment – acute Category 1 and chronic Category 1. The substance is a human acute hazard substance and an ecological hazard substance (human health and other hazard substance unique number 97-1-300) and must comply with relevant provisions of the Act on the Chemical Control of Hazardous Substances, such as the business permit for hazardous chemicals.
- Classification and labelling statements of 2 substances are corrected: for unique number 2023-418, "hazardous to the aquatic environment – chronic (4.1)" is corrected to "hazardous to the aquatic environment (4.1) chronic"; for unique number 2025-608, the classification code of "serious eye damage/eye irritation" is corrected from (3.2) to (3.3).
- Human health and other hazard substance unique numbers are confirmed for 30 existing chemical substances (30 substances including unique numbers 2023-411, 2025-622, and 2025-627); these substances were previously marked as "designation pending" and are now formally assigned numbers; for example, unique number 2023-411 changes from "designation pending" to 2026-1-1355.
Newly Added Evaluation Result of 1 Hazardous Concern Substance
Annex 2 adds unique number 2026-7: ethyl chloroformate (CAS No. 541-41-3). The evaluation concludes that the substance is a human acute hazard substance; its GHS classification includes flammable liquids Category 2, acute toxicity – oral Category 3, acute toxicity – inhalation Category 1, and skin corrosion/irritation Category 1B. The notice also states that the substance must comply with relevant provisions of the Chemical Control Act, such as the business permit for hazardous chemicals.
Comments and Implementation
Individuals and institutions, organizations (associations) with comments on the draft amendment may submit written comments to the President of NICS (Chemical Substances Registration and Evaluation Division) by November 4, 2026. A submission should specify item-by-item comments on the notified matters (whether revision is needed and the reasons), together with the commenter’s name (for organizations, the organization’s name and the representative’s name), address, and telephone number. Tel: 032-560-8690; Fax: 032-568-2038. After the comment period, the amendment will be officially published and will take effect on the date of publication.
ChemRadar Insights
In light of this administrative notice, companies exporting relevant substances to South Korea may take note of the following:
- Screen listed substances: companies are advised to check against the annex to the notice whether the substances they export to South Korea, or have already notified or registered there, fall within the scope of this amendment, including the 46 newly added chemical substances (unique numbers 2026-80 to 2026-125), ethyl chloroformate (CAS No. 541-41-3), and the 63 substances with updated information.
- Update SDSs and labels promptly: the GHS classification and labelling set out in the Results of Hazard Review of Chemical Substances are the officially recognized basis for hazard information in South Korea; once the amendment is officially published, companies manufacturing or importing the listed substances in South Korea should promptly update their Korean SDSs and labels and pass the updated information along the supply chain, and substances with newly added high-hazard classifications such as carcinogenicity, respiratory sensitization, and reproductive toxicity deserve particular attention.
- Verify hazard substance obligations: for substances designated as human acute/chronic hazard substances or ecological hazard substances, the notice mostly states that they must comply with the Act on the Chemical Control of Hazardous Substances, including the business permit for hazardous chemicals; companies should verify, based on their own business types, the permit, labelling, MSDS, and other obligations they need to fulfill in South Korea.
- Keep track of the official publication: the amendment is still at the administrative prior notice stage, and the final published text may be adjusted; companies are advised to continue following NICS releases and to rely on the text of the official publication.
CIRS Services
CIRS has long been tracking developments in South Korea’s chemical regulations and can provide the following compliance services to domestic and international companies:
- K-REACH Only Representative
- K-REACH Pre-registration
- K-REACH Registration
- Regulatory consultation and training services
- Korea new substance search service
- Registration exemption application to the Ministry of Environment (MOE)
- Risk assessment report
- Test monitoring, review, and translation of study reports
- Korea SDS and label authoring
- K-REACH regulatory tracking
- KOSHA new substance registration
- Commissioning of test studies at designated Korean laboratories or GLP laboratories
