WORLD TRADE G/TBT/N/KOR/135

24 April 2007
ORGANIZATION
(07-1703)

Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original: English

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.

1. Member to Agreement notifying: REPUBLIC OF KOREA

If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):

2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:

3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:

4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Agricultural Products
(Genetically Modified Organisms)

5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Proposed Amendment
to the Presidential Ordinance of Agricultural Products Quality Management Act (16 pages,
available in Korean).

Proposed Amendment to the Ministerial Ordinance of Agricultural Products Quality

Management Act (17 pages, in Korean).

6. Description of content:
GMO labelling: These proposals are to amend the list of items of agricultural products
which shall be subject to GMO labelling. Taking into consideration the development in
biotechnologies and the existing Korean Food Sanitation Act, GMO labelling requirements
will be applied to all of the items whose importation and production for human consumption
(including bean sprout originated from approved beans, and other sprouts) are approved by
the Commissioner of the KFDA based on the results of risk assessment.

* Items approved by the Commissioner of the KFDA (as of April 2007): bean, bean sprout,
corn, potato, cotton, canola, sugar beet

- Labelling of Place of Origin: These proposals are to clarify the labelling on agricultural
products containing a same kind of items which originate from two or more different places
(in case of domestic products) or two or more different countries (in case of imported
products).

7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: To
provide correct information to consumers when they purchase agricultural products.

. /.
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8. Relevant documents: MAF Public Notice No. 2007-65, 29 March 2007 (available in
Korean).

9. Proposed date of adoption:

Proposed date of entry into force: } To be determined

10. Final date for comments: 60 days as of notification

11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [ X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
Division of Consumer Information and Food Safety
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Tel: +(82) 2 500 1838
Fax: +(82) 2 503 7277
Email: dkcho@maf.go.kr