On October 16, 2026, the National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) of Korea issued Notice No. 2026-105 to launch an administrative advance notice on a partial amendment to the Regulations on the Classification and Labeling of Chemical Substances, etc. (hereinafter the "Regulations"). The amendment adds GHS classification and labeling information for 65 chemical substances that have passed hazard review and are proposed to be newly designated as substances hazardous to humans, etc., and revises 12 existing entries based on newly supplemented data. The related labeling obligations include a transition period extending to January 1, 2028, and comments are due by November 5, 2026.
Background of the Amendment
The Regulations are GHS classification and labeling notices issued by NICS under the Korean Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (K-REACH) and the Chemicals Control Act; the current version is Public Notice No. 2026-17, issued on September 18, 2026. Under Article 18 of K-REACH, NICS conducts hazard reviews of registered chemical substances and, for substances meeting the designation criteria for human acute-hazard substances, human chronic-hazard substances, or eco-hazardous substances (collectively "substances hazardous to humans, etc."), publishes their classification and labeling items in Annex 4 of the Regulations. This amendment, first, newly establishes classification and labeling information for substances whose hazard review has been completed and that are proposed for new designation, and, second, updates the information of published entries based on newly obtained supplementary data.
Key Amendments
The amendment mainly covers three aspects:
- Adding classification and labeling information for 65 substances: Under "substances hazardous to humans, etc." in Annex 4 of the Regulations, classification and labeling items (Nos. 2026-1-1393 through 2026-1-1457) are newly added for the 65 chemical substances that met the designation criteria in hazard review, covering GHS elements such as hazard classification, pictograms, signal words and hazard statements, as well as M-factors, UN numbers and other information.
- Revising 12 existing entries: Based on the supplementary data obtained, the chemical substance names, hazard classifications, etc. of 12 existing entries in Annex 4 are revised, including the correction of the CAS number of 1 substance (No. 2018-1-822) and of the UN numbers of 3 substances (Nos. 2026-1-1363, 2026-1-1379 and 2026-1-1380).
- Setting a labeling transition period: The supplementary provisions of the draft amendment stipulate that, after the Regulations take effect, those who are required to label hazardous chemicals shall complete the labeling prescribed in Article 16 of the Chemicals Control Act by January 1, 2028.
Submission of Comments
Individuals, institutions and organizations (associations) with comments on the draft amendment may submit written comments to the President of NICS (Chemical Substance Registration and Evaluation Division) by November 5, 2026; tel: 032-560-8667, fax: 032-568-2038. After the comment collection, the amendment will be officially announced and will take effect on the date of announcement.
ChemRadar Insights
The 65 substances newly given classification and labeling information in this amendment are the same as the 65 substances proposed for new designation in the draft amendment to the Public Notice on the Designation of Human Acute-Hazard Substances, Human Chronic-Hazard Substances and Eco-Hazardous Substances issued on the same day. Enterprises exporting to Korea should therefore monitor both the regulatory designation status and the GHS labeling requirements in parallel. After the amendment takes effect, labeling compliance for affected products may be completed by January 1, 2028 at the latest. Enterprises are advised to check as early as possible whether their products involve the newly added or revised entries, and to schedule label updates in accordance with the classification and labeling information in Annex 4.
