G/TBT/N/KOR/977  
18 June 2021  
(21-5027) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  REPUBLIC OF KOREA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy(MOTIE)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Bio-Convergence Industry Division  
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy  
Government Complex -Sejong, 402, Hannuri -Daero, Sejong -si 30118  
Republic of Korea  
Tel.: (+82) 44 203 4396  
Fax: (+82) 44 203 4731  
E-mail: kooku757@korea.kr   
Website: http://www.motie.go.kr   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  A novel 
domestic or foreign LMOs created through modern biotechnology under Article 2 
(Definition) of the LMO Act  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notifie d document:  Draft partial 
amendment of the Transboundary Movement, etc. of Living Modified Organisms Act (32 
page(s), in Korean)  
6. Description of content:   
1. Through the introduction of the Preliminary Review System, low -risk LMOs in 
which foreign gene has not been introduced to the final product shall be 
exempted from risk review and approval on the import, production and 
contained use.  
2. Under the current law, LMOs (including animals, plants, and microorganisms) 
that have introduced drug -resistant genes must obtain the approval when they 
are imported and developed. In the amendment, the scope of approval has 
been reduced from living organisms to living microorganisms.   
3. The provision on the establishment and operation of confined field trial areas 
was crea ted and the confined field trial areas shall be separately managed from 
research facilities to unify the management system.  G/TBT/N/KOR/977  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Protect ion of animal or plant life or 
health; Reducing trade barriers and facilitating trade  
8. Relevant documents:  MOTIE Public Notice No. 2021 -421 (26. May, 2021)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined; 6 months from adoption  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Korea WTO TBT Enquiry Point  
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Division  
Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS)  
93 Isu -ro Maengdong -myeon Eumseong -gun 
Chungchungbuk -do  
27737  
+(82) 43 870 5525  
+(82) 43 870 5682 (Fax)  
tbt@korea.kr  
http://www.knowtbt.kr  
http://www.motie.go.kr/motie/ms/ll/legislative/bbs/bbsView.do?bbs_seq_n=62701&bbs
_cd_n=27&currentPage=1&search_key_n=&cate_n=&dept_v=&search_val_v=  
https://members.wto .org/crnattachments/2021/TBT/KOR/21_4237_00_x.pdf