. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/KOR/431 
11 October 2012 
 (12-5528) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  REPUBLIC OF KOREA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Korea Food & Drug Administration 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable):  Genetically modified foods and food additives 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Proposed Amendment of Standard for Safety Assessment 
of Genetically Modified Foods and Food additives  Language(s):  Korean  Number of 
pages:  8 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2012/sps/KOR/12_4002_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content:  This amendment is to remove  GM food additives (vitamins, 
amino acids and nucleotides) from the lists subject to safety assessment as they are 
considered to have no safety risk on consumers.  
These food additives (vitamins, amino acids and nucleotides) produced by using GM 
microorganisms are not direct products produ ced from recombinant gene.  These additives 
with high purity are equal to non GM food additives. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.    
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None G/SPS/N/KOR/431 
Page 2  
 
  Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
 [ ] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  GM food additives produced by using GM microorganisms are 
not regulated by Codex Guideline. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  The Korea 
Food & Drug Administration Advance Notice No. 2012-194 (14 September 2012) (available in Korean) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  20 February 2013 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  10 December 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
International Trade & Cooperation Team  
Korea Food & Drug Administration 
Osong Health Technology Administrati on Complex, 187 Osongsaengmyeong2(i)-ro 
Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun,  Chungcheongbuk-do 
363-700, Korea Tel:  +(82 43) 719 1554 
Fax:  +(82 43) 719 1550 
E-mail:  wtokfda@kfda.go.kr 
13. Texts available from:  [ ] National Notification  Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:    
Documents are available from the Korea Food & Drug Administration website 
(http://www.kfda.go.kr ).  Also available from: 
 
International Trade & Cooperation Team  Korea Food & Drug Administration 
Osong Health Technology Administrati on Complex, 187 Osongsaengmyeong2(i)-ro 
Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun,  Chungcheongbuk-do 
363-700, Korea Tel:  +(82 43) 719 1554 
Fax:  +(82 43) 719 1550 
E-mail:  wtokfda@kfda.go.kr