로고

gnb
코트라로고
Ombudsman's Office
Foreign Firms Learn About
New Chemical Regulations at OFIO Forum
  •    The Office of the Foreign Investment Ombudsman held a regulatory infor-
    mation meeting on July 11, 2017. At the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Environment (MOE) explained about new laws and enforcement decrees on chemical substances and chemical products. More than 90 business repre-
    sentatives of the foreign invested companies were present, asking questions on the impacts of these new regulations on their business. Officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) also attended the meeting as observers.
       The MOE officials dealt with three topics: partial revisions on the laws of regis- tration and evaluation of chemi-
    cal substances; the draft enactment of the regulations on the safety manage-
    ment of household chemicals and bio-
    cides; and the strengthening the safe management of hazardous chemical substances.
       The first topic introduced the back- ground of strengthening regulations on toxic chemical substances. Its nece-
    ssity was triggered by chemical acci-
    dents that claimed 100 deaths between 2006 to 2010 due to misuse of humidi-
    fier sterilizers. All new chemical subs-
    tances over 1 ton which are to be used must be registered and their toxicity has to be evaluated before the MOE’s final approval is granted.
       The second topic was about the eval-
    uation of the toxicity of household che-
    mical products. The MOE official expl-
    ained the laws regarding the approval of the use of biocides to protect the environment and to reduce chemical accidents. The official also explained about the approval standard for use of biocidal substances.
       The third topic addressed the legal system of the safe management of chemicals. The presenter explained the specific measures to strengthen the safety management recommended by the United Nations. The explanation

  • 이미지1

    covered the issues of safety supervi-
    sion, the administration of the manu-
    facturers, storage, operation and trans-
    portation of hazardous chemicals and highly toxic products for children. The topic also introduced the GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) and RTDG (Recommendation on Transport of Dangerous Goods) managed by ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council).
       The MOE’s presentation of the new laws and revised rules under these three separate topics was extremely helpful to the attendees, but at the same time the fact that the chemical regulations had been strengthened made the CEOs of the foreign-invested companies feel frustrated to that extent. Inherently, there is a conflict of interest between the regulator, MOE and the foreign CEOs.
       This is where the Foreign Investment Ombudsman comes in. The Ombuds-
    man should play a mediating role in such a way that the strengthened regulations may not be excessive. If the regulations are overly restrictive, we cannot expect the growth of the chemical industry.
       The MOE has been empowered by the National Assembly to maintain high standards in the protection of the environment and human health and they revise chemical regulations















  • whenever necessities arise. The MOTIE has been empowered by the National Assembly to keep the nation’s chemi-
    cals industry as competitive as possible. To accomplish this task, the MOTIE tries to eliminate obsolete or unnecessary regulations on chemicals. When frictions arise between the MOE and MOTIE, the Foreign Investment Ombudsman’s mediating role is needed.
       If the officials of the MOE and MOTIE, the lawmakers and the foreign investors fully understand their own position and other positions as well, the gaps and differences among these four groups of stake- holders would decrease so that they can come to an appropriate level of agreement.
       Chemicals can cause both advantages and problems. If chemicals are safely stored and used, they will surely enrich our lives. But if the chemical substances and chemical products are mistreated, they can turn into a deadly weapon. If all stakeholders concerning the production, consumption and the regulation of chemicals fully under-
    stand the issues involved and trust one another, they will all be winners.

    By Dr. Jeffrey I. Kim
    Foreign Investment Ombudsman
    jeffikim@kotra.or.kr
top