Korea has specific labeling and marking requirements for certain products, such as pharmaceuticals, as well as for organic and functional food and food produced through biotechnology. While not yet passed, proposed amendments to the Recycling Act in August 2020 and November 2020 would mandate pre-launch testing of packaging materials and labeling of small electronic products to ensure compliance with specified packaging requirements. Korea requires that the information provided on the English labeling match with the Korean labels.
Pertaining to food and agriculture import requirements, general labeling and marking requirements can be found on the Foreign Agricultural Service website at FAIRS Country.
Country of origin labeling is required for commercial shipments entering Korea. The Korean Customs Service (KCS) publishes a list of country of origin labeling requirements by Harmonized System Code number.
Country of origin labeling requirements
The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) issues the Korea Certification Mark (KC Mark) for items that fall under its jurisdiction, formerly comprised of mandatory certification marks for 13 categories, many of which overlapped in testing procedures and functions. The consolidation of these marks into the KC Mark ensures that companies, both Korean and foreign, will save time and costs due to reduced redundancies introduced into the new system.
Further labeling and marking requirements for specific products, such as pharmaceutical and food products, are covered by specific regulations from Korean Government agencies responsible for these items. Korean language labels, except for country of origin markings that must be shown at the time of Customs clearance, can be attached locally on products in the bonded area, either before or after clearance.