South Korea Cosmetic Policy Plan 2024

On March 21, 2024, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced three main initiatives for the cosmetics industry in 2024¹, to echo international standards and promote industrial growth through advanced safety management:

Implementation of a proactive safety network based on science

Establishing cosmetics safety assessment for echoing the global market and supporting cosmetic exports

Expansion of the East Asia Cosmetics Beauty Forum.
Enhanced provision of global regulatory information for the domestic cosmetics industry.
Enhancement of industry competitiveness through the establishment of the cosmetics safety assessment system.

Ensuring consumer safety by strengthening distributed cosmetics’ safety and quality

Promotion of ingredient evaluation based on domestic and international research data and regulatory trends.
Improvement of the reliability of private human application testing institutions for cosmetics by adopting autonomous management.
Quality inspection of cosmetics and education on the safe use of cosmetics for consumers.

Implementation of safety and welfare that allows everyone to enjoy at any time

Introducing cosmetic e-labeling to improve product labeling and advertising

Implementation of the "Cosmetics e-label pilot project" to conserve resources and improve cosmetic label’s readability
Optimization of the labeling items on the external packaging of cosmetics.

Enhancing the management of customized cosmetics for safety consumption

Classification of eyelash perm products as cosmetics.
Improvementof labeling and documentation requirements for small-volume cosmetics.

Innovation of regulation

Operating communication platform "Jump Up K-Cosmetic" for regulatory improvement and industry support

Operation of five subcommittees: System, Safety, Standards and Evaluations, Manufacturing and Quality, Qualifications and Education, with participation of government, industry, and relevant agencies (approximately 80 members).
Addition of a Task Force for labeling and advertising.
Promotion of regulatory improvement tasks.
Allowance of hair dye products applied through automated devices.
Autonomy of credible standards for various certification institutions involved in labeling and advertising.
Establishment of a new application process for lifting the ban on prohibited ingredients.
Permission for cosmetics (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, liquid soap) refill stores without the presence of a manufacturing manager.

One notable project is the cosmetics safety assessment system. This system is expected to serve as a transition from a government-led approach that only defines prohibited and restricted ingredients to a safety assessment system that emphasizes the voluntary responsibility of businesses.

The direction of the system's implementation involves enterprises providing evidence of the safety of their cosmetics and maintaining relevant data, while receiving support from technology and evaluation personnel assignedby the government. MFDS plans to collect and develop safety assessment data for each ingredient and publish it to cosmetic companies through a cross-government platform. Additionally, the authority intends to offer training programs for cultivating specialized professionals and publish guidance materials.

According to MFDS, they will establish a roadmap for the new system, prepare the standards for selecting products subject to the scheme, as well as provide a comprehensive support plan.