G/SPS/N/KOR/539  
 
20 June 2016  
(16-3339)  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 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Food products 
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 Amendments to the Regulation on Safety 
Assessment for Genetically Modified Food Products  Language(s): Korean  Number of 
pages: 8 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/KOR/16_2408_00_x.pdf  
6. Description of content: The proposed amendment seeks to: 
1. Define self-cloning microorganism; 
2. Exempt self-cloning microorganism from safety assessment, if it is destined for 
contained use without antibiotic resistance gene; 
3. Shorten the standard sample quantity of the host microorganism and its genetically 
modified strain to submit for safety assessment; 
4. Shorten the document list to submit for safety assessment with a document that 
shows removal of genetically modified microorganism and newly introduced gene within final product. 
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 st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
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 
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:   G/SPS/N/KOR/539 
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Advance Notice No. 2016-234, 10 June 2016 (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 from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 19 August 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
International Cooperation Office 
Ministry of Food and Drug safety #187 Osongsaengmyeong2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdoek-gu Cheongju-si 
Chungcheongbuk-do 
363-700, Korea Tel: +(82 43) 719 1559 
Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550 
E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr 
13. Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notifi cation 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 1559 Fax: +(82 43) 719 1550 E-mail: wtokfda@korea.kr