G/SPS/N/KOR/568  
 
19 July 2017  
(17-3949) Page: 1/2 
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: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specif ied in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Foods  
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: The amendment of Special Act on Imported Food 
Safety Control.  Language(s):  Korean . Number of pages:  14 
http://m embers.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/KOR/17_3256_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Republic of Korea is proposing to amend the "Special Act 
on Imported Food Safety Control":  
1) A provision is newly created to permit the detention of import shipments  without 
physical examination if there is evidence that the shipment may pose a risk to the 
public health;  
2) The timing of import sanitary assessment conducted by the MFDS is adjusted to take 
place once the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs com mences the import 
risk analysis.  
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 inter national standard? 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 num ber):  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
interna tional standard:  G/SPS/N/KOR/568  
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Advance Notice No. 2017 -260 (12 July 2017)  
(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) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days fr om the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 17 September 2017  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of  other body:  
13. Text(s)  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 Ministry of Food and Drug Safety website at:  
http://www.mfds.go.kr . Also available from:  
 
International Cooperation Office  
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety  
#187 Osongsaengmyeong2 -ro, Osong -eup, Heungdoek -gu Cheongju -si 
Chungcheongbuk -do 
Tel: +(82 43) 719 1564  
Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550  
E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr