K-BPR: New Requirement for the Packaging and Advertising of Household Chemical Products and Biocidal Products

On February 10, 2022, the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) issued the MoE Ordinance No.972 to announce amendments to the Enforcement Rules of the Act on Safety Management of Household Chemical Products and Biocides (a.k.a. K-BPR Enforcement Rules).

Previously, manufacturers/importers/sellers of household chemical products subject to safety confirmation or biocidal products shall meet the following requirements for such products' packaging or advertising:

Requirement 1: Using phrases designated by the MoE to make the product's name and type easily identified, e.g., non-toxic, environmentally friendly, harmless, etc.;

Requirement 2: Using phrases to recommend users follow the instructions and precautions when using the product; and

Requirement 3: Using phrases regarding the effectiveness and efficacy of the product (limited to those phrases stated in the report on the conformity verification of compliance with safety standards/the certificate of notification approval of the household chemical product subject to safety confirmation or the biocidal product). *According the revised K-BPR Enforcement Rules, the implementation date of Requirement 3, which was once January 1, 2021 as stipulated in the last revision issued on December 31, 2020, has been extended until January 1, 2023.

A new requirement was added in the revised K-BPR Enforcement Rules, stipulating that the corresponding report/approval number of the household chemical products or the approval number of the biocidal products is also required for the packaging or advertising to verify the compliance with the safety standards. This new requirement will take into effect on August 11, 2022.

Consumers can use the report number or approval number to search on the MoE official website to check relevant information, including contact information of the manufacturer/importer, ingredients and contents of the product, hazard information, permitted uses, etc. The MoE expects to increase information transparency and reduce potential risks caused by such products by providing the information mentioned above.