G/TBT/N/KOR/641  
 
25 April 2016  
(16-2302)  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 Food and Drug Safety 
Name and address (including telephon e 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 : 
International Cooperation Office, Mi nistry of Food and Drug Safety 
187 Osongsaengmyeong2-ro Osong-eup Heungdeok-gu  
Cheongju-si Chungcheongbuk-do 28159, Republic of Korea  Tel: (+82) 43719-1564 
Fax: (+82) 43-719-1550 
Email: wtokfda@korea.kr   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10 .1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other: 
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Food labelling 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft amendment 
of Labelling Standard for Genetically Modified Foods (12 pages, in Korean) 
6. Description of content: Draft amendment announced by MFDS called Labelling Standard 
for Genetically Modified Foods (Notice No. 2016-150 of the MFDS, 21 April 2016).  
 To expand GM labelling requirements to any food products (including processed food 
products, food additives, functional heal th foods, livestock processing products, 
agricultural products, sprouts made by germination of GM agricultural products; 
hereinafter referred to as GM foods) th at contain genetically modified DNA or 
genetically modified proteins. 
 To add a clause for GM labelling exemption for highly refined food products such as 
sugars and oils etc. for which genetically modified DNA or genetically modified 
proteins are not detectable. 
 To make labelling requirements for genetically modified agricultural products with 
significantly different composition profile compared to conventional counterparts: 
  Ex) 1) Enhanced composition – Enhanced Oleic Acid Soy (e.g. "Enhanced Oleic 
Acid GM soy") 
  Ex) 2) Changed composition – Stearidonic Acid Soy (e.g. "Stearidonic Acid 
Contained GM Soy") 
 To enlarge a font size from 10 point to 12 point: 
  Of food products that are subject to GM labelling, if GM food is not used, that 
may be labelled or advertised as either "NON-GMO" or "GMO-free". In this case, 
the adventitious presence is not permissible (i.e. zero tolerance applies). G/TBT/N/KOR/641 
 
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    Non GMO or GMO-free labelling or advertisement of foods that are not subject to 
GM labelling is prohibited in order to prevent consumers' misunderstanding and confusion. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  
Consumer information, consumer choice, food labelling  
8. Relevant documents:  MFDS advance notice No. 2016-150 (to be announced in 
21 April 2016) 
9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined 
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined   
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Division 
Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) 
93, Isu-ro, Maengdong-myeon 
Eumseong-gun Chungcheongbuk-do 
Republic of Korea, 27737 
Tel.: (+82) 43 870 5525   Fax: (+82) 43 870 5682 E-mail: tbt@kats.go.kr   
Website: http://www.knowtbt.kr   
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2 016/TBT/KOR/16_1631_00_x.pdf