Overview
South Korea runs two strands of product chemistry rules that often come up together. One is K-REACH, the country's general chemicals law. The other is a RoHS-style scheme for electronics and vehicles. They sit side by side and serve different purposes.
K-REACH governs chemicals in general, while Korea's RoHS-style scheme targets electronics and vehicles and ties substance limits to recycling duties.
K-REACH
The full name is the Act on Registration and Evaluation of Chemicals. It follows the same basic logic as EU REACH. Companies must register the chemicals they make or import and supply hazard information so that authorities can evaluate the risks. A business familiar with EU REACH will recognise the structure, though the thresholds, deadlines and procedures are Korea's own.
Korea RoHS
Korea also operates a scheme in the spirit of RoHS that applies to electrical and electronic products and to vehicles. It does more than cap hazardous substances. It also folds in recycling duties, so producers face obligations both for what goes into a product and for what happens at the end of its life.
How it relates to other topics
- EU REACH is the model behind K-REACH's registration approach.
- EU RoHS is the model behind the substance limits in Korea's electronics scheme.
Note: this is general educational information rather than legal advice. Always check the official source before you rely on it.