South Korea Tightens Chemical Controls! Three New Substances Designated as Accident-Preparedness Substances

On March 10, 2026, Korea's National Institute of Chemical Safety (NICS) issued Announcement No. 2026-2, announcing the approval of the revised draft of the Designation of Accident-Preparedness Substances, officially adding three substances to the list. This revision aims to strengthen the regulation of high-risk chemicals and prevent chemical accidents.

Reason for Revision

The primary reason for this revision is to align with the previous decision made on September 26, 2025. The amended provisions stipulate that companies which had commenced manufacturing or importing these substances before September 26, 2025, and had submitted chemical confirmations in accordance with Article 9 of the Chemicals Control Act (K-CCA), will be deemed to have fulfilled the corresponding confirmation obligations for accident-preparedness substances after September 26, 2025.

The three newly designated accident-preparedness substances are:

• 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)

Accident-preparedness substances refer to chemicals that, due to characteristics such as high acute toxicity or strong explosiveness, have a high potential to cause serious chemical accidents, or are expected to cause massive damage in the event of an accident. Therefore, relevant businesses must prepare for such contingencies in advance. Companies beginning production or import of these substances after September 26, 2025, must fulfill the Letter of Confirmation (LOC) obligation for chemical substances. They are required to self-check whether their products contain these substances and submit a report before commencing production or import.

This revised announcement took effect on March 10, 2026. In accordance with relevant South Korean regulations, the validity of this announcement will be reviewed routinely every three years to continuously improve the relevant management measures.

The list of accident-preparedness substances can be found at the following website:

https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/admRulLsInfoP.do?chrClsCd=&admRulSeq=2200000108037

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Further Information

NICS