Major Revision of Existing Chemical Substance Names in South Korea: Comments Due by April 16

On March 26, 2026, the Ministry of Climate and Energy Environment (MCEE) of Korea announced Notice No. 2026-296, partially amending the Existing Chemical Substances. This revision primarily targets substances listed under the Existing Chemical Substances inventory that were notified under generic names due to recognized data protection, where the data protection period has expired. These substances need to be restored to their original chemical names as part of necessary housekeeping.

Key Revisions:

Expiration of data protection period – restoration to original chemical names (136 substances)

• In Annex 2, the generic names of 136 existing chemical substances will be changed to their original chemical names, involving unique numbers such as 2011-3-5056, 2011-3-5057, 2011-3-5058, etc. For detailed substance names, please refer to the following link:

https://resource.chemlinked.com.cn/chemical/articles/file/draft-partial-amendment-to-keci.pdf

Assignment of CAS numbers and modification of chemical names (two substances)

• For the existing chemical substance with unique number 2010-3-4455: “2,2-Dimethyl-1,3-propanediol polymer with 3-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylpropanoic acid, 1,1'-methylenebis[4-isocyanatocyclohexane], 5-isocyanato-1-(isocyanatomethyl)-1,3,3-trimethylcyclohexane, dimethylcarbonate, 1,6-hexanediol and 2-oxepanone” – CAS No. 918866-78-1 is newly assigned.
• For the existing chemical substance with unique number 2011-3-5317: the name is changed from “N,N-Bis[2-(4-dimethylaminobenzoyl)oxyethyl]-N-methylamine” to “1,1'-[(Methylimino)di-2,1-ethanediyl]bis[4-(dimethylamino)benzoate]”, and CAS No. 925246-00-0 is newly assigned.

Other amendment (one substance)

• For the existing chemical substance with unique number KE-03115 in Annex 1: the name is changed from “Bis(2,3-epoxypropy)terephthalate (CAS No. 7195-44-0)” to “Bis(2,3-epoxypropyl)terephthalate (CAS No. 7195-44-0)”.

DCEE shall, in accordance with the Regulations on the Issuance and Management of Administrative Rules, Guidelines, etc., review the rationality of this notice every three years based on July 1, 2020 (i.e., by December 31 of every third year), and take necessary improvement measures.

Call for Comments

Any agency, organization, or individual with comments on this notice is requested to submit their opinions to the MCEE by April 16, 2026, using the contact information provided on the official website.

About CIRS

CIRS Group is a leading provider of comprehensive regulatory compliance services and solutions for chemicals, cosmetics, food and food-related products, agrochemicals, and medical devices. Its chemical team consists of experts with extensive knowledge in chemistry, toxicology, environmental science, and related fields. They are well-versed in various international regulations, including but not limited to CSCL, EU REACH, CLP, GHS, TSCA, and K-REACH. 

CIRS operates a subsidiary in South Korea. By leveraging the expertise of CIRS Korea and the international team, CIRS can provide enterprises with various South Korean chemical services, including but not limited to:

• K-REACH registration;
• Form 25/26 preparation;
• K-BPR compliance; and
• KOSHA SDS submission.

If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.

Further Information

MCEE