South Korea to designate three chemicals as permitted substances following a review of 11 candidate substances

On September 22, 2023, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of South Korea issued a public notice (MOE Notice 2023-554) titled “Results of the Examination on the Priority among Permitted Substances," announcing that it would invite opinions from the public and businesses from October 6, 2023 to December 4, 2023. According to the notice, three chemical substances, namely, DBP, BBP, and DEHP, are expected to be the priority for the designation of permitted substances.

The Korean government defines and regulates "permitted substances" under Article 19 of the Chemicals Control Act. Chemicals designated as permitted substances are required to be approved by the MOE prior to any manufacture, import, or use thereof. As of November 2023, however, no chemicals that fall under the category of permitted substances have yet been designated, and no regulations have been practically implemented.