On July 8, 2026, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of South Korea issued an advance legislative notice of a partial amendment to the Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act (MFDS Notice No. 2026-331). The proposed amendment principally concerns the implementing details of the cosmetic safety assessment regime, an expansion of the scope of customized cosmetics eligible for refilling sale, the training requirements for responsible selling managers, shortened recall timelines, and the development and operation of the Integrated Cosmetic Information System.
Stakeholders could submit comments online through the “Center for Public Participation in Legislation” (opinion.lawmaking.go.kr) by August 18, 2026. The amended Rule is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2028, with select provisions entering into force on an earlier, staggered basis.
Background
The proposed amendment builds upon two earlier amendments to the Cosmetics Act:
- On December 30, 2025, the Cosmetics Act was amended (Act No. 21302) to introduce a cosmetic safety assessment system and to authorize the development and operation of an Integrated Cosmetic Information System, necessitating the clarification of delegated matters such as the categories exempt from safety assessment and the qualification criteria for safety assessors.
- On April 28, 2026, the Cosmetics Act was further amended (Act No. 21604) to ease the employment obligation regarding Customized Cosmetic Refilling Managers—thereby promoting eco-friendly consumption and reducing the staffing burden on small business operators (customized cosmetics sellers)—which required clarification of matters such as training for substitute employees. The proposal additionally streamlines the training requirements for responsible selling managers to address shortcomings identified in the operation of the current regime.
Main Amendments
The proposed amendment addresses the following six areas:
1. Scope of customized cosmetics eligible for refilling sale (newly inserted Article 8-5)
The categories of customized cosmetics that may be refilled and sold by an employee acting in lieu of a Customized Cosmetic Refilling Manager are specified as four product types: shampoo, conditioner, body cleanser, and liquid soap.
2. Cosmetic safety assessment — exempt categories and assessor qualifications (newly inserted Articles 10-2, 10-3, and 10-4)
- Exempt categories: cosmetic responsible selling businesses with prior-year revenue of KRW 1 billion or less that distribute or sell only cosmetic soap of their own manufacture are exempted from the safety assessment requirement;
- Assessor qualifications: individuals who have majored in medicine, pharmacy, biology, chemistry, toxicology, or fragrance and cosmetic science at a school established under Article 2 of the Higher Education Act, or who possess a defined level of experience or qualifications in the field of cosmetic safety management;
- Scope and retention of documentation: safety assessment dossiers are to be prepared by product category within the scope of Schedule 2-2, and retained for one year after the expiry of the product's shelf life, or for three years from the date of manufacture or importation.
3. Costs of on-site inspection of imported cosmetic manufacturers (Article 12)
A responsible selling business that applies for an on-site inspection of an imported cosmetic manufacturer may be required to bear the costs incurred in connection with the on-site inspection and the subsequent determination.
4. Training requirements for responsible selling managers and Customized Cosmetic Refilling Managers (Article 14)
The proposal clarifies that refresher training is to be completed once each year beginning the year following the year in which initial training was completed. Responsible selling managers working at responsible selling establishments engaged in import-proxy transactions involving the brokering and delivery of cosmetics are exempted from the refresher training requirement.
5. Criteria for cosmetics subject to recall and recall procedures (newly inserted Articles 14-2 and 14-3)
- Criteria: cosmetics for which safety assessment documentation or product-specific safety data has not been prepared or retained, and that pose or may pose a risk to public health, are designated as cosmetics subject to recall;
- Timeline: the deadline for a responsible party to submit a recall plan is shortened from the current five days to three days (running from the date on which the party becomes aware that the cosmetic is subject to recall).
6. Development and operation of the Integrated Cosmetic Information System (newly inserted Article 32-3)
Any request for information necessary to develop and operate the Integrated Information System must specify the scope of the information requested, the method and deadline for submission, and such other particulars as may be required.
Effective Dates
The amended Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act will, in principle, take effect on January 1, 2028, with certain provisions entering into force earlier on a staggered basis:
- Cosmetic safety assessment regime (exempt categories, assessor qualifications, and the scope and retention of documentation): January 1, 2028;
- Development and operation of the Integrated Information System: December 31, 2026;
- Refilling sale of customized cosmetics: April 29, 2027;
- Costs of on-site inspection of imported cosmetic manufacturers and the recall plan submission deadline: upon promulgation.
If you need any assistance or have any questions, please get in touch with us via service@cirs-group.com.
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- Korean Cosmetics Product Notification & Registration (General Cosmetics, Functional Cosmetics)
- Korea Cosmetic Ingredient Database (KCID) Registration
- South Korea Responsible Party (RP) Services
- South Korea Cosmetic Formula Review
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