South Korean Ministry of Environment to inspect 400 business establishments nationwide handling hazardous chemicals

On April 21, 2024, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of South Korea announced that from April 22 to June 21, 2024, it will inspect about 400 business establishments nationwide that handle hazardous chemicals for their compliance with regulations related to hazardous chemicals. Violating establishments will be punished pursuant to penal regulations, it added. The MOE stated that it will conduct intensive inspections in particular at 100 business establishments that store large quantities of hazardous chemicals, especially those located near rivers. The MOE explained that the fire that broke out earlier in 2024 in a storage warehouse of hazardous chemicals in Hwasung City, accompanied by spillage of hazardous chemicals into a nearby river, has led to this stricter inspection of business sies located near rivers.

During this intensive inspection, MOE intends to focus on the following matters.