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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in February 2026 to analyze the draft amendments to the Designation of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents, and was updated on 10 March 2026 to introduce the finalized version.
On March 10, 2026, South Korea's National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) approved the draft amendments to the Designation of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents. The amendments took effect immediately.
The submitted letters of confirmation (LOCs) for Xylene, Styrene, and 1,3-Butadiene to the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment (MCEE) as "Toxic Chemical Substances" before 26 September 2025 are recognized as valid verifications for "Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents". According to the NICS Announcement No. 2026-2, the involved chemical substances include:
Xylene (CAS No. 1330-20-7, 95-47-6, 106-42-3, 108-38-3)
Styrene (CAS No. 100-42-5)
1,3-Butadiene (CAS No. 106-99-0)
This initiative aims to maintain compliance without duplicating administrative procedures. Notably, companies that began manufacturing or importing these three substances after 26 September 2025 shall still submit the LOC as "Requiring Preparation for Accidents" to the MCEE.
Proposed Draft on Feb 4, 2026:
On February 4, 2026, South Korea's National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) issued NICS Notice No. 2026-2, proposing an amendment to the Designation of Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents. The draft amendment is designed to streamline compliance by recognizing previously submitted 'Letter of Confirmation (LOC)' for Xylene, Styrene, and 1,3-Butadiene. NICS is accepting public comments on this proposal until February 18, 2026.
According to Article 9 of the Chemical Control Act (K-CCA), manufacturers and importers are required to confirm whether the chemical substance or its composition falls under any of the following:
Existing chemical substances under K-REACH
New chemical substances under K-REACH
Substances acutely hazardous to human health
Substances chronically hazardous to human health
Substances hazardous to the environment
Substances subject to permission
Restricted substances
Prohibited substances
Substances requiring preparation for accidents
The Letter of Confirmation (LOC) shall be submitted to the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment (MCEE) before the manufacture or import.
On September 26, 2025, by NICS Announcement No.2025-26, Xylene, Styrene, and 1,3-Butadiene were designated as substances requiring preparation for accidents under K-CCA. These three substances were previously designated as toxic chemical substances. To reduce the administrative burden on the industry, the proposed amendment this time intends to recognize those LOCs submitted before the designation date (26 Sep 2025) for these three chemicals as valid verifications for "Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents".
By validating previous LOC submissions, the NICS intends to allow them to maintain compliance without duplicating administrative procedures. Companies that began manufacturing or importing these three substances after the designation date (26 Sep 2025) must still comply with the LOC submission procedures applicable to "Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents".
Stakeholders and industry professionals are invited to submit their opinions on the proposed amendment during the public consultation period by February 18, 2026. Upon the conclusion of the consultation period, NICS is expected to finalize the amendment, further clarifying the compliance landscape for these high-profile industrial chemicals.
