South Korea Abolishes Government-Led Certification for Natural and Organic Cosmetics

On August 1, 2025, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) officially enforced the repeal of the government-run certification system for natural and organic cosmetics, as outlined in the revised Cosmetics Act announced on January 31, 2025. The reform is intended to promote a market-driven cosmetics certification system, in line with international practices where such certification systems (e.g., COSMOS) are typically managed by the private sector.