South Korea enacts revised K-REACH and CCA enforcement decrees, introducing subcategories of hazardous chemicals

On July 29, 2025, the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of South Korea announced that revisions to the Enforcement Decrees of the Act on Registration, Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (hereinafter "K-REACH") and the Chemicals Control Act (hereinafter "CCA") had been approved by the State Council that day and would take effect on August 7, 2025. These revisions aim to establish practical implementation criteria for the amended K-REACH and CCA, both of which are also scheduled to take effect on August 7, 2025.

1. Main contents of the Enforcement Decree of K-REACH

(1) Subdivision of toxic substances (Schedule 1)

Toxic substances, previously managed under a single category, have been subdivided into the following three categories based on their hazards. The designation criteria for each category are prescribed in Schedule 1 to the Enforcement Decree.