. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/KOR/123
27 January 2003
(03-0509)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   REPUBLIC OF KOREA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Health and Welfare
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):   Food additives, apparatus, packaging and containers for food
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any
trading partners
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Proposed Draft
Amendment of Enforcement Decree and Enfo rcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act
(120 pages, available in Korean).
6. Description of content:   The Enforcement Decree and the Enforcement Rule of the Food
Sanitation Act are revised to improve safety control:
Contents of revised parts of the Enfo rcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act
To stipulate the case of safety eval uation of genetically modified foods.
To newly classify the Entrusted Institutional Food Service business as a type of
business.
To put the Food, etc. Import and Sale business under the supervision of the Korea
Food and Drug Administration.
To increase the number of members of the Food Sanitation Deliberation Council up
to 100.
To increase the amount of penalty surcharges and fines for negligence.
Contents of revised parts of revised parts of the Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act
Disinfectant or sanitary standards and spec ifications for apparatus, packaging and
containers may be temporarily recognized by the Commissioner of the Korean Food
and Drug Administration.
To establish the provisions on the prior confirmed registration of imported food, etc.;
procedures, documents for application, etc.
To improve follow-up management on imported food that can be used or sold for
other purposes, ie. medicinal purposes.
To establish the provisions on HACCP;  e ducation and training for businessmen and
employees;  criteria for designation, etc.
To change the interval of laboratory inspec tion for agricultural products or fish and
fishery products every year and for food, food additives, apparatus, packaging and
containers every three years.G/SPS/N/KOR/123
Page 2
To ban dishonest or exaggerated advertisements on the internet.
To change the provision of the item manufacturing report to give information on the
food additive's name and amount when food processors submit their item
manufacturing report to the competent authorities.
To tighten administrative sanctions and penalties for those who violate food safety
act and regulations, ie. seller who has so ld GMOs that had not received food safety
evaluation, etc.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  MOHW Public
Notification 2002-150 (26 December 2002), publis hed in the Korean Official Gazette
(available in Korean).
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined.
12. Final date for comments:  15 February 2003
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (ifavailable) of other body:
Pharmaceutical and Food Policy Division
Ministry of Health and Welfare
1 Jungang-Dong, Kwacheon-City, Kyoungi-Do, 427-760
The Republic of Korea
Tel: +82-2-504-6233
Fax: +82-2-504-1456E-mail: jonsu@mohw.go.kr
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry
point,  or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Pharmaceutical and Food Policy Division
Ministry of Health and Welfare1 Jungang-Dong, Kwacheon-City, Kyoungi-Do, 427-760
The Republic of Korea
Tel: +82-2-504-6233
Fax: +82-2-504-1456
E-mail: jonsu@mohw.go.kr