From Restriction to Prohibition: South Korea Announces Major Revisions to Chrysotile GHS Classification

On March 19, 2025, South Korea’s National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) issued Notice No. 2025-7, announcing significant amendments to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). In alignment with updated requirements under the Act on the Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals (K-REACH) and the Chemical Substances Control Act, chrysotile-previously classified as a restricted substance-has now been upgraded to a prohibited substance. This marks a comprehensive tightening of South Korea’s regulatory controls on chrysotile-related materials.

Under the revised Designation of Restricted and Prohibited Substances (Notice No. 2024-253) released by the Ministry of Environment on December 5, 2024, chrysotile has been removed from the restricted substances list (KE No. 06-5-7) and integrated into the prohibited substances list (KE No. 06-4-27). Consequently, the GHS inventory has been updated as follows:

The updated entry 06-4-27 now includes: crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, tremolite asbestos, and chrysotile. From the date of the announcement, the manufacture, import, sale, storage, transport, and use of the above substances are completely banned within South Korea. Existing stocks must be professionally encapsulated or rendered harmless in accordance with the Hazardous Chemicals Safety Management Act.

This revision aligns with global consensus on the hazards of chrysotile. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified chrysotile fibers as a cause of fatal diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, prompting over 60 countries to impose full bans. South Korea’s MOE emphasized that previous “restricted use” policies for chrysotile contained industrial exemption loopholes. The upgrade to “prohibited” status aims to eliminate residual risks in sectors like construction and automotive parts manufacturing.