Labeling Standards for Labeling Standards for 
Genetically-Modified Foods, Etc.Genetically-Modified Foods, Etc.
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2017.
  
1 .  M a i n  c h a n g e s  i n  t h e  A m e n d e d  N o t i f i c a t i o n ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· · 1
2 .  L a b e l i n g  i s  r e q u i r e d  o n l y  f o r  i n g r e d i e n t s  w h o s e  g e n e t i c a l l y - modified DNA 
(or protein) remains ····· ····· ···· ····· ···· ····· ···· ····· ···· ····· ····· ···· ····· ··· · ····· ···· ····· ···· ····· ···· ····· · 2
3 .  R e g a r d i n g  t h e  n e e d  f o r  l a b e l i n g  e v e n  f o o d  w i t h o u t  a n y  t r a c e s  of genetically 
-modified DNA (or protein) to protect consumers’ right to know ······ ········· ·· 3
4 .  W h y  i s  t h e  N o n - G M O  l a b e l i n g  r e s t r i c t e d  t o  f o o d  s u b j e c t  t o  t h e GM food 
labeling requirements, such as soybean and maize? ·············· ················· ·········· 4
5. Why is adventitious presence not tolerated for Non-GMO label ing? · ··· ···· ··· ·· 5
6 .  H o w  a r e  f o o d s  s u b j e c t  t o  l a b e l i n g  d e t e r m i n e d ? ··· ······· ······· ······· ······· ········ ······· ···· 6
7 .  W h y  a r e  “ f o o d  s e r v i c e  p r o v i d e r s ”  n o t  i n c l u d e d  i n  t h e  s c o p e  o f persons 
responsible for labeling? ········· ············ ············ ············· ············ ····· ······· ············ ········ 6
8. Why is the threshold level for adventitious presence for gen etically-modified 
agricultural products not lowered from the current 3% to the Eu ropean level 
of 0.9%? ···· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· · 7
  
9. Reasons for excluding processing aids, excipients, etc. from  i n g r e d i e n t s  
s u b j e c t  t o  l a b e l i n g  r e q u i r e m e n t s  a n d  m e t h o d s  o f  m a n a g i n g  t h e m · · · · · ··· ·· ·· ··  8
1 0 . F o o d s  e x e m p t  f r o m  l a b e l i n g  a s  t h e y  a r e  i m p o s s i b l e  t o  t e s t ,  s uch as cooking 
oils, sugars, etc. ·· ····· ····· ····· ···· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· ····· ····· ····· ··· ·· ···· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···· ····· ···  9
1 1 .  I s  a  f o o d  t h a t  u s e s  s o y b e a n  o r  m a i z e  i n  v e r y  s m a l l  a m o u n t s  as an ingredient 
s u b j e c t  t o  G M  f o o d  l a b e l i n g ? ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ··· ·· ·· ··· ·· · · ··· ·· ·· ·· ··· 10
   
1 2 .  I n  a d d i t i o n  t o  I d e n t i t y  P r e s e r v a t i o n  C e r t i f i c a t e  a n d  G o v e r n ment Certificate, 
Inspection Certificate has also been accepted as a document for  labeling 
exemption. Why is it deleted from the Amended Notification? ·· ······ ······ ······ ··· 10
Regarding the amendments to the Notification   1Ⅰ
Foods Subject to GM Food Labeling Requirements 8Ⅱ
Regarding Required Documents    10Ⅲ         
         1 3 .  W h y  i s  t h e  N o t i f i c a t i o n  e n f o r c e d  i m m e d i a t e l y  w i t h o u t  a  g r a c e  p e r i o d ? ···11
         1 4 .  D o c u m e n t s  r e q u i r e d  t o  e x e m p t  p r o d u c t s  m a n u f a c t u r e d  a n d  p r o c e s s e d  i n  
Korea from GM food labeling ··· ·· ··· ··· ·· ··· ··· ··· ·· ··· ··· ·· ··· ··· ·· ··· ··· ·· ··· ··· ·· ··· ··· · · ··· ··· ·· 12
         1 5 .  W h e r e  s h o u l d  a  s t i c k e r  o r  o t h e r  G M  f o o d  l a b e l s  b e  placed? ······· ········· ········· 12
         1 6 .  C a s e s  w h e r e  o n e  p r o d u c t  c o n t a i n s  m o r e  t h a n  o n e  i n g redient subject to 
GM food labeling requirements ······························································· ·····12
Others  11 Ⅳ
Labeling Standards for Genetically-Modified Foods, 
Etc. - Notification (Full Text ) 13Ⅴ- 1 - ◇  Regarding the amendments to the Notification
1 Main changes in the Amended Notification
□ “Labeling Standards for Genetically-Modified Foods, Etc.” 
amended this year (January 25, 2017) has expanded the scope 
of foods subject to GM food labeling requirements from 
Top-five ingredients (raw materia ls) that are used the most in a 
food product to all ingredient s regardless of their content.
□ Key changes are as follows: 
①Foods subject to GM food labe ling requireme nts have been 
expanded from top-five ing redients to all ingredients.
②  The font size has been increas ed from 10 points to 12 points.*
    *  The  requ ired  phrase  shall  be  w r itten  on  the  primary  display  panel  or  in  
pare nt he ses  right  next  to  th e  nam e  of  ingredients.
③ Foods in which a conventional breeding soybean or maize is 
u s e d  c a n  b e  l a b e l e d  a s  “ 비유전자변형식품 ,” “무유전자변형식품 “,“ 
”Non-GMO“ or ”GMO-free.“
    *  Thi s  a p p lie s  onl y  to  f oods  th a t  fa ll  unde r  th e  fo llo w i n g  case s:  The  co nt ent  of  
an  i ngr edi e nt  sub j ect  to  th e  la b e lin g  re q u ire m e n ts  is  50%  or  hi gher  or  such  an  
i ngr edi e nt  is  used  th e  mo s t  of  al l  th e  i ngr edi e nt s.  In  th is  case,  a d v e n titio u s  
pr esenc e  in  th e  fin is h e d  product  shal l  not  be  to le ra te d .
④  It is forbidden to label rice, bananas, etc., which have not be en 
developed or approved as genetically-modified foods, as Non-GM - 2 -food or to use other related labels for them. 
⑤  Cooking oils, soy sauces, sugars, etc. in which no genetically- modified 
DNA (or protein)  remains due to a highly refining process shall be 
e x c l u d e d  f r o m  l a b e l i n g  o b l i g a t i o n s ,  a s  i s  c u r r e n t l y  t h e  c a s e .
   ※ With regard to the need for applying the GM food labeling system to 
cooking oils, soy sauces, sugars, etc., it is planned to expand  the labeling 
requirements to them once a social consensus is reached through  
sufficient discussions among stakeholders.
2Labeling is required only for ingredients whose genetically-
modified DNA (or protein)  re m a in s  in  th e  fo o d
□ In the case of cooking oils, soy sauces, sugars, etc., it is no t 
possible to ascertain facts on compliance with the labeling 
requirements if there is no  genetically-modified DNA (or protein)  
remaining in the final product.
□ However, if discussions with sta keholders in the future lead to  
a social consensus on the need for applying the GM food labeling system to such cases, we plan to expand the scope of 
the application accordingly 
(the relevant laws need to be amended) .- 3 -3Regarding the need for labeling even foods without an y 
traces of genetically-modified DNA (or protein)  t o  protect 
c o n s u m e r s ’  rig h t to  k n o w
□ In order to have cooking oils, sugars, etc. labeled even when t here 
remains no genetically-modified DNA (or protein) i n  t h e  f i n a l  
finished product, the Food Sanitation Act needs to be amended. Therefore, this type of change requires further discussions.
□ Labeling Standards for Genetically-Modified Foods, Etc. address ed 
herein is a revised version made to incorporate and enforce (on  
February 4, 2017) the amendments of the laws (Article 12-2 of t he 
Food Sanitation Act and Article 17-2 of the Health Functional Foods Act) that passed the National Assembly on December 31, 2015.
  
     *  Pa r t  of  th e  pr ovi si ons  under  Ar t i c l e  12-2  of  th e  Food  S a n ita tio n  Ac t  wa s  
changed  fro m  “m a j o r  ra w  ma t e r i a l s  wh o s e  g e n e tic a lly - m o d ifie d  DN A  (o r  pr ot ei n)  
re m a in s  in  th e  fin is h e d  pr oduc t ”  to  “ra w  ma t e r i a l s . ”  Thi s  change  has  been  
in c o rp o r a t e d  in  th is  N o tific a tio n .
□ U n d e r  t h e  c u r r e n t  c i r c u m s t a n c e s ,  i t  i s  d e s i r a b l e  t o  i m p l e m e n t  t he 
amended Food Sanitation Act first (February 4, 2017) and then decide on whether the scope of labeling should be extended afte r 
a social consensus is reached through sufficient discussions wi th 
stakeholders including consumer groups, academic circles and th e 
industry.- 4 -4W h y  i s  t h e  N o n - G M O  l a b e l i n g  r e s t r i c t e d  t o  f o o d  s u b ject 
t o  t h e  G M  f o o d  l a b e l i n g  r e q u i r e m e n t s ,  s u c h  a s  s o ybean 
and maize?
□ If a Non-GMO labeling is put on rice, apples, bananas, oranges,  
etc. that have originally not been developed or approved as 
genetically- modified foods;
 ○ Consumers may mistake an agricultural product or processed food  
thereof that does not have a Non-GMO labeling on it for a 
genetically-modified food or confuse such a product or food wit h 
a genetically-modified food. This is why such a food is not allowed to have the labeling*
     *  Foods  subj ect  to  GM  fo o d  la b e lin g :  G e n e tic a lly - m o d ifie d  a g ric u ltu ra l  pr oduc t s  
(s o y b e a n ,  ma i z e ,  cot t on,  canol a ,  sugar  beet  and  a lfa lfa )  and  pr oce sse d  f oods  
th e r e o f  th a t  have  passe d  a  fo o d - s a f e t y  asse ssm en t  in  Kor e a  and  
sub s e q ue nt l y  have  been  appr ov ed  fo r  im p o rt  in to  Kor e a
 ○ Considering Korea’s high dependence on imported agricultural 
products, imported products may benefit more than domestic 
p r o d u c t s .  I n  a d d i t i o n  t o  t h i s ,  i t  w i l l  e n t a i l  a  m o n e t a r y  b u r d e n  i f  
labeling is required even for products for which it is a matter  o f  
fact that they are not genetically modified.
< N o n - G M O  L a b e l i n g  A l l o w e d  b y  M a j o r  C o u n t r i e s >
Korea Japan United States Europe
Non-GMO 
labeling 
allowed or 
notAllowed only for foods tested for safety and approved a s  f o o d  ( 6  f o o d s )
Same as left(8 foods)No regulations available on labeling genetically- modified foodsNo regulations
* Currently, there 
are no regulations harmonized at the EU level.
Non-GMO 
labeling 
method" 유전자변형식품 ", 
" 유전자변형식품 ", 
"Non-GMO",  "GMO-free"  For example, “what 
is not genetically- modified has been segregated”Guidance: Non-GMO 
labeling is inappropriate for foods to which genetically-modified food has no relevance.- 5 -5Why is adventitious presence not tolerated for Non-GMO 
labeling?
□ Adventitious presence refers to the proportion of genetically- 
modified agricultural products that can be mixed inevitably in an 
agricultural product in the process of cultivating and distribu ting 
the agricultural product concerned. There is no need for tolera ting 
adventitious presence for agricu ltural products produced in Kor ea 
because there are no genetically-modified crops cultivated or g rown 
in Korea.
 ○ Even for imported products, it is considered desirable to label  a  
p r o d u c t  a s  N o n - G M O  o n l y  i f  i t  i s  p r o v e n  t h a t  t h e  p r o d u c t  c o n c e r ned 
does not have any traces of genetically-modified agricultural p roducts 
at all.  
□ We will improve the Labeling System through continuous discussi ons 
i n  t h e  f u t u r e .
< R e f e r e n c e >  T h r e s h o l d  l e v e l s  f o r  a d v e n t i t i o u s  p r e s e n c e  i n  N o n - G M O  L a b e l i n g
Korea Japan U.S. Europe
Adventitious 
presence in 
Non-GMO 
Labeling0% 5%No 
regulations 
availableNo harmonized regulations in force. But 
tolerance levels vary with countries depending on their internal circumstances.
* France (0.1%), Germany (allows the use of a label 
indicating “No Genetic Engineering,” not “Non-GMO”)- 6 -6 How are foods subject to labeling determined?
□ Foods subject to GM food labeling are selected from foods that can 
b e  i m p o r t e d ,  d i s t r i b u t e d  a n d  s o l d  i n  K o r e a .
 ○ For a food to be imported, distributed and sold in Korea, it 
should go through a food-safety assessment and obtain approval pursuant to Article 18 of the Food Sanitation Act.
□ So far, soybean, cotton, maize, canola, sugar beet and alfalfa have 
b e e n  a p p r o v e d  a s  f o o d  i n  K o r e a .  T h e s e  s i x  a g r i c u l t u r a l  p r o d u c t s  
and foods that contain any of them are subject to the GM food labeling requirements.
7Why are “food service providers” not included in the 
s c o p e  o f p e r s o n s  re sp o n s ib le  fo r  la b e lin g ?
□Crops imported as genetically-modified agricultural products 
(mostly soybean and maize) are processed into cooking oils, sug ars, 
etc. Therefore, these agricultural products themselves are not distributed for sale to consumers.
 ○ Also, even in cases where they are distributed, ingredients use d 
b y  f o o d  s e r v i c e  p r o v i d e r s  t e n d  t o  b e  d i f f e r e n t  e v e r y  d a y ,  m a k i n g 
it difficult to check them every time.- 7 -□ Therefore, it is considered not desirable to implement the Labe ling 
System on food service providers for genetically-modified agric ultural 
products that are not sold as genetically-modified agricultural  
products.
8Why is the threshold level for adventitious presence for 
genetically-modified agricultural products not lowered 
fro m  th e  c u rre n t 3 %  to  th e  E u ro p e a n  le v e l o f 0 .9 % ?
□ Different countries apply different threshold levels* depending  o n  
their production conditions for agricultural products and their  
self-sufficiency rates.
    *  Eu r o p e :  0. 9% ,  Japan:  5% ,  Tai w an  and  Kor e a:  3% ,  A u s t ra lia  and  New  Zeal and:  
1% ,  U. S. :  Not  d e fin e d
 
□ A decision on lowering the adventitious presence level requires  c l o s e  
examination on self-sufficiency rates of domestic agricultural products, 
secured import quantities of non-GMO agricultural products, comparison between consumer benefits, and economic effectivenes s 
and threshold levels of other countries, among other things.
□ Therefore, if a social consensus is formed through public heari ngs 
involving the National Assembly, the industry, consumers and ot her 
stakeholders or through "The GM-foods Labeling scheme Committee ", 
we will proceed to implement the agreement accordingly.- 8 - ◇ Foods Subject to GM food Labeling Requirements
9Reasons for excluding processing aids, excipients, 
etc. from ingredients subject to labeling requirements and methods of managing them
□ Since foods subject to GM food labeling requirements have been 
extended from “major ingredients” to “all ingredients,” it is considered unreasonable to label substances that were used temporarily or in trace amounts during the food manufacturing p r o c e s s .  T h i s  i s  w h y  s u b s t a n c e s  u s e d  f o r  s u c h  p u r p o s e s  a s  processing aid, excipient, diluent or stabilizer have been excl uded 
from the scope of ingredients subject to the labeling requireme nts.
□ Processing aids refer to substances used intentionally in the 
manufacturing and processing of food to achieve a certain techn ical 
purpose. For example, an enzyme made from a genetically-modifie d 
microorganism falls under this category.
□ An excipient 
( s u b s t a n c e  a d d e d  t o  e n s u r e  u n i f o r m i t y  i n  t h e  c o m p o s i t i o n  o f  
food) , diluent (substance added to lower the concentration without changing 
the physicochemical attributes of food) or  s t a b i l i z e r  (substance added to 
prevent physicochemical change in food) is a  substance put in very small 
amounts into a food inevitably to form an ingredient (certain 
component or flavor, etc.) .  E x a m p l e s  i n c l u d e  s u b s t a n c e s  u s e d  f o r  t h e  
purpose of stabilizing the flavor of on the air, for example, a pple 
flavor.- 9 -□ I n  c a s e s  w h e r e  a  s u b s t a n c e  i s  u s e d  a s  a n  e x c i p i e n t ,  d i l u e n t  o r  
stabilizer, documents.* from the manufacturer proving the purpo se 
of the substance should be provided 
    *  Pr oduc t  in fo rm a tio n  (p ro d u c t  nam e ,  et c. ) ,  th e  use  (p u r p o s e )  of  th e  in g r e d ie n t  
sub j e c t  to  th e  la b e lin g  re q u i re m e n t s ,  et c.  shoul d  be  avai l a bl e  in  th e  do cum e nt .
10F o o d s  e x e m p t  f r o m  l a b e l i n g  a s  t h e y  a r e  i m p o s s i b l e  t o  
test, such as cooking oils, sugars, etc
□ Cooking oils, sugars, etc., which are considered impossible to test 
as there remains no genetically-modified DNA (or protein)  i n  t h e m  
after the end of a high-degree refining process including heat treatment, fermentation, extraction and filtering are excluded from 
the GM food labeling obligations.
□ Foods exempt from GM food labeling include “cooking oils, sugar s 
(glucose, fructose, starch syrup, sugar syrup, oligosaccharides ), soy 
sauce, modified starch, and alcoholic beverages (beer, whiskey,  
brandy, liqueur, regular distilled spirits, other alcoholic bev erages, etc.).
□ A s  f o r  d - α-tocopherol, you should have documentary evidence from the 
manufacturer, proving that it was derived from an edible plant oil.
 □ As for soybean lecithin, you should have a certificate* from th e 
manufacturer, if it was not used as a stabilizer, etc. and it i s 
impossible to test for traces of a GM ingredient.
    *  e. g. ,  Ma n u f a c t u r e r ’ s  In s p e c tio n  C e r t ific a t e ,  P r oduct  S p e c ific a t io n s  sho w i n g  pur i t y ,  et c.- 10 -11I s  a  f o o d  t h a t  u s e s  s o y b e a n  o r  m a i z e  i n  v e r y  s m a l l  
a m o u n ts  a s  a n  in g re d ie n t s u b je c t to  G M  fo o d  la b e lin g ?
□ It is subject to the labeling re quirements. If soybean or maize  i s  
used as an excipient, diluent or  stabilizer, it is not subject to 
the GM food labeling requirements.
 ◇ Regarding Required Documents
12In addition to Identity Preservation Certificate and 
Government Certificate, Inspection Certificate has also 
b e e n  a c c e p t e d  a s  a  d o c u m e n t  f o r  l a b e l i n g  e x e m p t i o n .  W h y 
is  it d e le te d  fro m  th e  A m e n d e d  N o tific a tio n ?
□ Until now, documents accepted for exemption from the GM food 
labeling requirements included “Identity Preservation Certifica te,” 
“Government Certificate” and “Inspection Certificate.” 
 ○ To administer the GM foods labeling scheme more stringently, 
the provisions have been strengthened to allow exemption from labeling obligations only  if “Identity Preservation 
Certificate” or “Government Cert ificate” has been obtained. If 
either of the certificates is not available or if it is not pos sible 
to verify the presence of a genetically-modified element, the food concerned should be label ed as “genetically-modified 
food” or “possibly contains (product name).”*- 11 -     *  L a b e lin g  shal l  be  done  usi n g  in k ,  se al  or  st am p,  or  it  sh al l  be  do ne  on  a  
s tic k e r  or  la b e l  s h eet .  La b e l  in fo rm a tio n  shal l  be  pl aced  d i s tin c t iv e l y  in  
12-p o i n t  or  bi gger  fo n t ,  usi n g  a  col o r  cl e a r l y  d i s tin g u is h a b l e  fro m  th e  
bac k gr ou nd  co l o r .
□ In the case of processed foods, however, manufacturers may issu e 
a certificate to the effect that the food concerned has been manufactured using ingredients segregated and handled separatel y 
f r o m  a n y  g e n e t i c a l l y - m o d i f i e d  f o o d s ,  e t c .  T h i s  i s  i n t e n d e d  t o  impose on manufacturers the responsibility for proving the iden tity 
preservation of their own products. In cases where such a manufacturer-issued certificate is in possession, that certific ate can 
be considered as Identity Preservation Certificate. 
 ○ In such cases, if a genetically-modified DNA 
(or protein)  i s  d e t e c t e d  
a s  a  r e s u l t  o f  a  c u s t o m s  o r  d i s t r i b u t i o n  i n s p e c t i o n ,  d o c u m e n t a r y 
evidence will be requested from the manufacturer concerned and verified. The food concerned will be checked for the use of any  
genetically-modified ingredient or any adventitious presence th rough 
o v e r s e a s  i n s p e c t i o n ,  e t c . ,  i f  n e c e s s a r y .  A n  a d m i n i s t r a t i v e  d i s p osition, 
e t c .  s h a l l  b e  i m p o s e d  d e p e n d i n g  o n  t h e  r e s u l t s .  
 ◇ Ot h e r s
13Why is the Notification enforced immediately without 
a grace period?
□ The expansion from top-five ingredients (top-five ingredients used the 
most) to all ingredients was determined by the amendments to the - 12 -Food Sanitation Act on February 3, 2016. This law already assig ned 
a grace period of one year when i t stated that the amendments 
shall be enforced on February 4, 2017.
14Documents required to exempt products manufactured 
and processed in Korea from GM food labeling
□ If a food is exempt from GM food labeling obligations at the ti me 
o f  i m p o r t ,  r e l e v a n t  d o c u m e n t s  w i l l  b e  s u b m i t t e d  t o  t h e  G o v e r n m e nt. 
I f  a  d o m e s t i c  m a n u f a c t u r e r  w a n t s  n o t  t o  l a b e l  i t s  o w n  p r o d u c t s  as 
G M  f o o d ,  t h e y  a r e  r e q u i r e d  t o  b e  e q u i p p e d  w i t h  t h e  s a m e  documents (copies acceptable) r e q u i r e d  a t  t h e  i m p o r t  s t a g e .
15 W h e re  s h o u ld  a  stic k e r o r o th e r G M  fo o d  la b e ls  b e  p la c e d ?
□ GM food labeling should be done  in 12-point or bigger font on 
the principal display panel or in parentheses right next to the  
name of ingredients. In inevitable cases, however, it may be 
done in 12-point or bigger font on a panel that is easy for consumers to recognize, using a c olor clearly distinguishable 
from the background color.
16Cases where one product contains more than one 
in gre d ie n t s ubj e ct  to  GM  fo o d l abe l in g re q u ire me n t s
□ Y o u  c a n  l a b e l  t h e  p r o d u c t  a s  “ p o s s i b l y  c o n t a i n s  g e n e t i c a l l y - m o dified 
maize” or “possibly contains genetically-modified soybean and genetically-modified maize” on its principal display panel.- 13 -Labeling Standards for Geneti cally-Modified Foods, Etc.
MFDS Notification No. 2014-114 (enacted on April 24, 2014)
MFDS Notification No. 2017-7 (amended on January 25, 2017)
Article 1 (Purpose)  The purpose of this Notification  is to provide consumers with 
accurate information by laying down labeling requirements in detail for genetically
-modified foods, etc., including foods, etc. subject to the labeling requirements, pe
rsons/entities responsible for such labeling, and labeling methods pursuant to Article 12-2 of the Food Sanitation Act , Article 17-2 of the Health Functional Foods 
Act, Article 6 (Standards for Labelling of Livestock Products) of the Livestock Produ
cts Sanitary Control Act , and Article 20 of the Enforcement Decree of the Agricultu
ral and Fishery Products Quality Control Act .
Article 2 (Definitions)  For the purpose of this Notification, the following definitions 
shall apply:
  1. "Genetically modified foods, etc. (GM foods, etc.)" refers to each of the followi
ng items:
    A. Genetically-modified (GM) foods and food additives defined under Article 12-
2, Paragraph 1 of the Food Sanitation Act
    B. Genetically-modified (GM) functional health foods defined under Article 17-2 
of the Health Functional Foods Act
    C. Livestock products in  accordance with Article 6 of the Livestock Products Sani- 14 -tary Control Act
    D. Genetically-modified agricultural a nd fishery products defined under Article 2, 
Subparagraph 11 of the Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act  
(Vegetables grown by germinating the s eed of a food item, for example bea
n sprouts and bean leaves, are includ ed. The same applies hereinafter.)
  2. "Ingredient" refers to any substance, excluding water added intentionally, that 
is used to manufacture and process a food (Functional health foods as well as 
agricultural, livestock and fishery products are included; the same applies hereinafter) or food additive, which is present in the final finished product. However, 
materials used for the following purposes are excluded: processing aid (substance 
used intentionally in the manufacturing and processing of food to achieve a certain technical purpose), excipient (substance  added to ensure uniformity in the co
mposition of the food), diluent (substance added to lower the concentration wit
hout changing the physicochemical attributes of the food) or stabilizer (substance added to prevent physicochemical change in food).
  3. "Identity Preservation Certificate" refers to documentary evidence proving that 
the food, etc. concerned has been segregated and handled separately from GM foods, etc. during the handling process including seed purchase, production, ma
nufacturing, storage, sorting, transportation and shipping.
  4. "Government Certificate" refers to documentary evidence showing that the gov
ernment of the producing or exporting country acknowledges that the certificate 
has the same effect as defined under the Subparagraph 3 above.- 15 -  5. "Impossible" refers to a case in which amplified fragments of an endogenous 
gene have not been detected in a PCR test.
  6. "Adventitious presence" refers to th e unintentional presence (expressed as a perc
entage) of any genetically-modified agricultural product in an agricultural product 
despite best efforts to segregate the product concerned in the process of producing, importing, distributing or handling it.
)  
  7. "Principal display panel" refers to th at portion of the container or packaging lab
el on a food or food additive that be ars the trademark and logo and is most 
likely to be seen by the consumer unde r customary conditions at the time of 
purchase.
Article 3 (Foods Subject to Labeling Requirements)  ①  A genetically-modified agri
cultural, livestock or fishery product approv ed as food as well as food, etc. manuf
actured and processed using a genetically-modified agricultural, livestock or fishery 
product as an ingredient shall be labeled as GM food if it is found as a result of a safety evaluation pursuant to Article 18 of the Food Sanitation Act  that a gen
etically-modified DNA or a genetically -modified protein is present in it.
  
②  Foods subject to the labeling requirem ents under Paragra ph 1 above may not 
b e  l a b e l e d  a s  G M  f o o d  i n  a n y  o f  t h e  f o l l o w i n g  c a s e s :
  1. An agricultural product with the adventitious presence of a genetically- modifie
d agricultural ingredient at 3% or less or a food or food additive manufactured and processed using such an agricultural product. In this case, however, the Iden
tity Preservation Certificate or Government Certificate is required.- 16 -  2. Sugars, oils and fats, etc., which are considered impossible to test as there rema
ins no genetically-modified DNA or geneti cally-modified protein in them after th
e end of a high-degree refining process.
Article 4 (Persons Responsible for the Labeling)  Persons or entities who fall unde
r any of the following categories shall be responsible for labeling GM foods, etc.:
  1. Genetically-modified agricultural, livesto ck and fishery products: Person or entity 
who cultivates, produces, ships out and sells a genetically-modified agricultural, 
livestock and/or fishery product or who stores and displays a genetically- modified agricultural, livestock and/or fi shery product for the purpose of sale
 
  2. Genetically-modified foods: Person or  entity who is engaged in the food manuf
acturing/processing business, spot-sale fo od manufacturing/processing business, f
ood additive manufacturing business, food subdivision business, or distribution-sp
ecialized sales business as defined under Article 21 of the Enforcement Decree 
of the Food Sanitation Act ; business of importing and selling imported food, etc. 
pursuant to Article 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Imported 
Food Safety Control ; functional health food manufacturing business or distributio
n-specialized sales of functional health foods under Article 2 of the Enforcement 
Decree of the Health Functional Foods Act ; or livestock product processing busine
ss or distribution-specialized sales of live stock products pursuant  to Article 21 of 
the Enforcement Decree of the Livestock Products Sanitary Control Act
Article 5 (Labeling Methods)  GM foods shall be labeled as described in the followi
ng sub-paragraphs:- 17 -  1. Labeling shall be done in Korean. Ho wever, Chinese or other foreign characters 
m a y  b e  u s e d  i n  p a r a l l e l  w i t h  K o r e a n  t e xt to help consumers understand better. 
In this case, the size of Chinese or other foreign characters should be equal to 
or smaller than the Korean characters .
  2. Labeling shall be done using non-erasable ink, seal or stamp, or it shall be done 
on a sticker or label sheet that does no t come off. Label information shall be 
placed distinctively in 12-point or bigger font, using a color clearly distinguishabl
e from the background color of the container or packaging to ensure that consumers can easily see the information.
  3. Genetically-modified agricultural, livestock and fishery products shall be labeled 
as "GM (agricultural, livestock or fishery product name)." A vegetable cultivated from a genetically-modified agricultural product(s) shall be labeled as "(vegetable 
name) cultivated from GM (name of  agricultural product/products)."
  4. If a food commodity contains a genetically-modified agricultural, livestock or fis
hery product, it shall be labeled as "contains GM (agricultural, livestock or fishery 
product name)." If a food commodity cont ains a vegetable cultivated from a gen
etically-modified agricultural product(s), it shall be labeled as "contains (vegetable name) cultivated from GM (name of agricultural product/products)."
  5. If there is a possibility that the food commodity concerned may contain a gene
tically-modified agricultural, livestock or fi shery product, it shall be labeled as "p
ossibly contains GM (agricultural, livestock  or fishery product name)." If there is 
a possibility that the food commodity concerned may contain a vegetable cultiva- 18 -ted from a genetically-modified agricultural product(s), it shall be labeled as "pos
sibly contains (vegetable name) cultivated from GM (name of agricultural product/products)."
  6. To ensure that consumers can easily  recognize a GM food, the phrase “GM foo
d,” “GM food additive,” “GM functional health food,” “food containing GM (commodity name),” “food additive containing  GM (commodity name)” or “functional 
health food containing GM (commodity name)” should be written on its principa
l display panel, or the phr ase “GM” or “GM (commodity name)” shall be placed 
in parentheses right next to the names of the ingredients used in the product 
concerned.
  7. If a product cannot be verified as to genetic modification, it shall have the phra
se “possibly contains GM (commodity name)” written on its principal display pa
nel or have the phrase “possibly contains GM (product name)” written in parent
heses right next to the names of its ingredients.
  8. In cases where a GM food, etc. is  not used for a commodity subject to the 
labeling provisions of Article 3, Paragraph 1, the commodity may be labeled as 
“
비유전자변형식품 ,” “ 무유전자변형식품 ,” “Non-GMO” or “GMO-free” if the c
ontent of an ingredient subject to the labeling requirements is 50% or higher 
or if that ingredient is used the most in the product. In this case, an adventitiou
s presence shall not be tolerated .   
  9. “Non-GMO,” “GMO-free” or a similar term or phrase shall not be used for an agric
ultural, livestock or fishery product that is not a GM product subject to the labeling - 19 -requirements under Article 3, Paragraph 1 or a food manufactured or processed usi
ng such an agricultural, livestock or fishery product, lest it should cause misunderstanding or confusion among consumers.
  10. In the case where a genetically-modified agricultural, livestock and fishery pro
duct is shipped or loaded in a mother ship or shipping container for import or sales in bulk, the required labeling details shall be specified on the letter of cre
dit or invoice. In the case where a genetically-modified agricultural, livestock an
d fishery product is loaded in a cargo ve hicle and distributed in Korea, the labeli
ng details should be put on the vehicle and delivery note.
Article 6 (Exceptions to Labeling Requirements)  Notwithstanding the provisions of 
Article 5, labeling can be done as follows if any of the following sub-paragraphs applies:
  1. In cases where a spot-sale food manufacturing or processing business operator 
displays and sells a genetically-modified food of his/her own making or processing, the operator may leave out a label on the individual units of the product if 
the required label information is placed on  the display case or posted on a sepa
rate board.
 2. In cases where soybean curds are sold using a sanitary crate or box, the business 
operator may leave out a label on the individual units of the product if the req
uired label information is placed on the crate/box or posted on a separate board.
Article 7 (Review Period)  Pursuant to Article 8 of the Framework Act On Administra
tive Regulations and the Regulations on the Issue and Management of Instructions - 20 -and Established Rules , this Notification shall be reviewed for its reasonableness an
d necessary measures, such as making impr ovements thereto, shall be taken every 
three years (referring to the period until the day before January 1 of every third 
year) from January 1, 2014.
Addenda  <No. 2014-114, April 24, 2014> 
Article 1 (Enforcement Date) This Notification shall ente r into force on the date 
of its announcement. 
Article 2 (Transitiona l Measures) The GM foods, etc.  manufactured, processed or 
imported (including those that have already been shipped for import) by a 
person or entity who has secured a busi ness license or who has registered or 
reported as business operator according to the Food Sanitation Act  and Health 
Functional Foods Act  at the time when this Notifica tion enters into force as well 
as GM foods, etc. of the same nature can be labeled following the previous 
labeling standards, provided that the date  of manufacture or import date is not 
earlier than April 31, 2015. In this case , a product may be sold, displayed or 
transported for sales purposes, or used for business purposes until its expiry 
date. 
Article 3 (Abolis hment of Other Notifications) Labeling Guidelines for Genetically 
Modified Agricultural, Livestock and Fishery Products  (MFDS Notification No. 
2013-143, April 5, 2013) and Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods, - 21 -Etc. (MFDS Notification No. 2014-40, Febr uary 12, 2014) sha ll be abolished.
Addenda  <No. 2017-7, January 25, 2017> 
Article 1 (Enforcement Date) This Notifica tion shall enter into force on February 
4, 2017. 
Article 2 (Application Exampl e) This Notification sh all apply to genetically 
modified foods, etc. that are manufactured, processed or imported (on the basis 
of the shipping date) after this Notification enters into force.
Notice
□ This material is translated from Korean to English, and 
there may be translation errors in the translation process.