South Korea’s Ministry of Environment announces draft amendments to BPR law to strengthen safety standards for consumer chemical products

On November 23, 2023, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of South Korea announced that it has formulated a draft amendment to one of the country's key BPR (biocidal products regulation) legislation, i.e., the Designation of Consumer Chemical Products Subject to Safety Check and Relevant Safety and Labeling Standards. South Korea has prescribed safety standards for the "consumer chemical products subject to safety check (a total of 43 items by the end of 2023)" as listed in this law. Specifically, it defines restricted and prohibited substances for use in products as well as preservatives that can be used in products, requiring business operators to undergo safety inspections and to report the results of such inspections to the relevant authorities.