South Korea announces draft amendment to the Water Environment Conservation Act to address PFAS and POPs

On December 10, 2025, the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea announced a draft amendment to the Water Environment Conservation Act and stated that it was under consideration by the National Assembly. In South Korea, as water pollution becomes more diverse and complex, addressing emerging environmental risks that cannot be adequately managed under the existing regulatory framework has become a key policy challenge. In response to these circumstances, the draft amendment establishes a new institutional framework to systematically manage emerging contaminants, particularly PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and POPs (persistent organic pollutants).