The chemical industry objected to the Korean government that the 30th June 2019 deadline for pre-registration of existing chemical substances could not be upheld. Indeed, the access to data concerning substances is sometimes complicated and suppliers or customers prove themselves to be difficult to reach. Additionally, access to a South Korean Only Representative (OR) is not always easy.
The Korean government replied that companies had had more than a year (first proposed in 2016 then implemented in 2018) to prepare for this deadline, and that the pre-registration window was open since January, giving companies more than enough time. There will therefore be no extension to comply in South Korea.
It is worth noting though that the validation process of pre-registrations can take up to two weeks. Companies should thus be careful to act fast.
How to comply?
Undertaking pre-registration by one’s self can prove to be troublesome for exporters as it is necessary to have a Korean OR and the platforms to carry out pre-registrations are mostly available in Korean only. Anticipating and acting forthwith as well as choosing the right OR are the keys to ensuring compliance.
EcoMundo has an office in Seoul, South Korea, and so can assume the role of OR for foreign companies as well as Korean ones. Going through an OR allows companies to unburden themselves of the administrative weight of pre-registrations.
It should be noted, too, that companies based outside South Korea and whose Korean importer does not carry out the pre-registration themselves, are required to appoint an OR.
