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Chemicals & household chemical products

Preparation of household chemical-product safety-conformity notifications and approval applications

Anyone who manufactures or imports a safety-confirmation household chemical product must complete the procedure before release under Article 10 of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act. If a safety standard has been published for the item, the product must be confirmed as conforming by a designated testing and inspection institution and reported within 30 days from the date the result is notified; the confirmation is valid for 3 years. If no safety standard has been published, approval from the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment must be obtained by submitting data on contained substances, hazards and exposure; the application is received by the National Institute of Chemical Safety, which notifies the result within 90 days. The procedure applies to companies that manufacture in Korea directly or through contract manufacturing and to importers of foreign products.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-10-13 · Updated 2026-10-22

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Notification Difficulty Low

    You submit the statutory report form and required documents. Once the documents are in order the report is accepted; for some reports the authority checks the contents before accepting it.

  • Approval Difficulty High

    A procedure, such as establishing a corporation, a business plan or a transfer, that takes effect only when the authority reviews and approves it. The authority has wide discretion, so a well-prepared business plan and supporting evidence are important.

We will review the product's ingredients and test data and prepare and submit a conformity confirmation or approval application document. If support for application to a testing agency is required, the relevant scope will be categorized separately.

Scope & fee
Possession of test results and reporting of conformity confirmation of household chemical products
We will prepare and submit a conformity confirmation report and attached materials by comparing approximately 20 pages of provided materials, including the ingredient list, labeling sample, and testing agency confirmation report for 1 product. This is a case where a valid confirmation result is provided, and actual tests, visits, and applications for new testing institutions are separate.
Official fee source ↗
Household chemical product test confirmation application materials and follow-up reports
We prepare approximately 20 pages of manufacturer's ingredient, formulation, and product data for 1 product, along with testing agency confirmation application materials and follow-up conformity confirmation reporting documents. Samples and technical data are provided, but actual testing, sample transportation, retest fees, and on-site visits are separate.
Official fee source ↗
Application for approval of household chemical products without safety standards
We compare approximately 40 pages of technical data completed by the manufacturer and testing agency for 1 type of product and prepare and submit an approval application form, list of attachments, and 3 pages of expected administrative explanatory materials. Safety, efficacy, and risk data are provided, but new tests, scientific risk report preparation, translation, and visits are separate.
Official fee source ↗

  1. 1. Check the designated item and whether a safety standard is published

    First check whether the product falls under the safety-confirmation household chemical products designated and published by the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment after risk assessment. If it does, check whether a safety standard under Article 9 of the Act has been published for the item: if so, proceed with conformity confirmation and reporting; if not, proceed with approval. KC certification for electrical and consumer products is a procedure under a different act and does not replace this confirmation.

  2. 2. Organize ingredients, mixing ratios and product information

    Organize the ingredients, mixing ratios and uses of every substance in the product from the manufacturer's data, and prepare product photos and instructions. For contract manufacturing, include a copy of the contract and the contractor's name, address and contact details; for high-pressure gas spray products, include the container inspection pass certificate. For imported products, request the ingredient list from the overseas manufacturer first, as it takes time.

  3. 3. For items with a published standard, report within 30 days after confirmation

    Submit the confirmation application (Form 1) and attachments together with the product to a designated testing and inspection institution, which notifies the result within 10 days after completing the tests. Within 30 days from receiving the confirmation result, submit the safety standard conformity report (Form 3) to the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, which issues the report certificate within 25 days. The confirmation is valid for 3 years, and continued manufacturing or importing after expiry requires a new confirmation.

  4. 4. For items without a published standard, apply for approval to the National Institute of Chemical Safety

    Attach to the approval application (Form 5) data on contained substances, the manufacturer and manufacturing method of the main ingredient, efficacy, safety, hazards including exposure information, quality control test results, directions and precautions, and emergency measures. The National Institute of Chemical Safety notifies the result within 90 days from receiving the application, and time spent on corrections or supplements is not counted. Once approved, the approval notice (Form 7) is issued.

  5. 5. Apply labeling standards and manage changes

    Label the outer surface or packaging in Korean with the name, manufacturer or importer information, chemical substance information, weight or volume, precautions for use, and the reported or approved matters. To change contained substances other than the main ingredient, the product name, formulation or the location of manufacturing and storage facilities after approval, obtain change approval (Form 5-2, notified within 60 days); for minor matters such as name, address and contact details, file a change report (Form 5-3).

Required documents

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • Possession of test results and reporting of conformity confirmation of household chemical products from KRW 300,000
  • Household chemical product test confirmation application materials and follow-up reports from KRW 400,000
  • Application for approval of household chemical products without safety standards from KRW 500,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

Initial conformity confirmation, reporting or approval is distinct from a change report or a derivative-product report. We first check whether a change legally requires reporting. Derivative products require comparison with the representative product and examination of test-exemption conditions. The manufacturer provides composition, formulation and completed labeling samples. New tests and initial approval are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 8
  • Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 9
  • Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 10
  • Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 56
  • Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 57
  • Enforcement Decree of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 5
  • Enforcement Decree of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 6
  • Enforcement Decree of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 38
  • Enforcement Decree of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 39
  • Enforcement Rule of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 5
  • Enforcement Rule of the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act Article 6

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • Safety standard conformity confirmation is valid for 3 years from the date of confirmation, so it must be renewed before expiry, and manufacturing or importing differently from the confirmed or approved content is subject to the same penalties as no confirmation or approval.
  • Current legislation names the competent ministry as the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, so do not reuse the former 'Ministry of Environment' wording or old forms from earlier materials; prepare documents on the current forms.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between approval and reporting for household chemical products?
It depends on whether a safety standard has been published. Items with a published standard are confirmed by a designated testing and inspection institution and then reported to the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, while items without one obtain approval through the National Institute of Chemical Safety by submitting hazard and exposure data. Article 10(1), (4) and (6) of the Act are the respective grounds.
By when must I report after receiving safety standard conformity confirmation?
Within 30 days from the date the confirmation result is notified. Under Article 5(3) of the Enforcement Decree, submit the report of Form 3 with a copy of the confirmation result, product information, contained substance data and a labeling sample.
How long does it take to receive the approval result?
The result must be notified within 90 days from receipt of the application. However, if the National Institute of Chemical Safety requests corrections or supplements, that time is not counted in the 90 days, so preparing complete data from the start is the way to shorten the period. Change approval takes up to 60 days.
If my product has KC certification, do I still need to report it as a household chemical product?
Yes. KC safety certification and safety confirmation are procedures under the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act, while conformity confirmation, reporting and approval of safety-confirmation household chemical products are a separate procedure under the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act. If a product falls under both acts, each must be completed.
What happens if I sell without confirmation or approval?
It is subject to criminal penalties. Article 56(1) of the Act punishes anyone who manufactures or imports a safety-confirmation household chemical product without confirmation or approval with imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to 70,000,000 won, and violations of the labeling standards may also be punished under Article 57.
How far does the administrative office handle the process?
Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office checks whether the product is covered, organizes ingredient and product data, prepares the confirmation application, report, approval application and labeling sample, and handles submission and supplements. Testing is performed by the designated testing and inspection institution, so we also prepare the documents needed to request testing.

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Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

📞 Call 010-3374-2687 KakaoTalk Book a free 1-hour consultation WhatsApp ✍️ Request a consultation for this service
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📍 2697, 26F POSCO Tower-Songdo, 165 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea · 📞 010-3374-2687 · 🌐 hwangadmin.com

This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.