Ministry of Environment Official Notice No. 2025-124 (환경부공고 제2025-124호), issued with the Ministry of Justice under South Korea's K-REACH (화평법, the Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals), set October 27, 2026 as the deadline to complete the registration, amended registration or pre-registration update for every violation declared in the 2025 voluntary declaration grace period.
Korean manufacturers and importers, and non-Korean manufacturers selling through a Korea-based only representative, who filed a Notice 2025-124 declaration must file proof of completion with the Chemical Substances Safety Institute or the Korea Environment Corporation by October 27, 2026, or lose the notice's exemption from criminal liability (up to 5 years' imprisonment), fines of up to KRW 100 million and the administrative surcharge of up to 5 percent of annual turnover, and face strict enforcement on inspection.
- Deadline : October 27, 2026, the rectification obligation falls due
- Who : Korean manufacturers and importers, and non-Korean manufacturers selling through a Korea-based only representative, who filed a Notice 2025-124 declaration
- What : Complete the outstanding K-REACH registration, amended registration or pre-registration update and file proof of completion
- Otherwise : Loss of the criminal-liability exemption (up to 5 years' imprisonment), fines up to KRW 100 million and a surcharge up to 5 percent of turnover, plus strict enforcement on inspection
- Official source : Official Notice No. 2025-124 (환경부공고 제2025-124호)
What is due on October 27, 2026
Every declarant whose K-REACH registration, amended registration or pre-registration was ongoing at declaration must complete that rectification and file proof by October 27, 2026. The notice allowed registration or amended-registration work unfinished inside the window to be completed within one year after it closed, which is October 27, 2026.
The grace period was published on February 27, 2025, the window opened on February 28, 2025 and closed on October 27, 2025, after which the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) and local authorities began onsite inspections.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| February 27, 2025 | Notice No. 2025-124 published (MCEE and Ministry of Justice) |
| February 28, 2025 | Voluntary declaration window opens via the Chemical Substance Information System |
| October 27, 2025 | Declaration window closes; onsite inspections begin with strict enforcement |
| October 27, 2026 | Rectification deadline: complete the outstanding registration, amended registration or pre-registration |
Who is covered
The obligation binds four categories of declarant by market exposure: Korean manufacturers who still owe a K-REACH registration; importers who declared a missing pre-registration (사전신고); manufacturers and importers who declared an amended-registration gap on tonnage, use or composition; and non-Korean manufacturers selling through a Korea-based only representative, who must ensure the representative files proof because it carries the registration duty for the foreign principal.
Companies that completed rectification inside the window already hold the exemption and have no further filing due.
What to do before October 27, 2026
- Complete the outstanding K-REACH registration, amended registration or pre-registration update for each declared substance via the Chemical Substance Information System (kreach.me.go.kr).
- File proof of completion with the Chemical Substances Safety Institute (화학물질안전원) for registration and amended-registration declarations, or the Korea Environment Corporation (한국환경공단) for pre-registration declarations.
- Compile the registration dossier, including tonnage band, use and composition data and hazard information, to close an amended-registration gap.
- For non-Korean manufacturers, confirm the Korea-based only representative has filed completion proof for every declared substance.
- Retain completion evidence for inspection readiness, as MCEE and local authorities run onsite inspections.
What happens otherwise
A declarant that has not completed rectification by October 27, 2026 loses the Notice 2025-124 exemption from criminal liability (up to 5 years' imprisonment under K-REACH), the fine of up to KRW 100 million, and the surcharge of up to 5 percent of turnover. After the window closed on October 27, 2025, MCEE and local authorities began onsite inspections, and violations detected after the deadline face strict enforcement.
