On July 2nd, 2020 South Korea’s Ministry of Environment announced an amendment to the notification of waste import and export subject to
‘the Act of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal’ to cancel waste paper exemption from waste import and export notification
and will take effect from July 3rd.
In the meantime, the waste paper was exempt to notify waste import, so during the past three years ago there is an average of 1.5 million tons of waste paper
that has been imported without notification.
So, the Ministry of Environment has classified waste paper as an import and export of waste in order to prevent environmental pollution caused by waste paper contaminated with foreign substances import and export.
Accordingly, all imports and exports of waste paper from July 3rd must submit the notification of import and export waste to the local environment office
by attaching waste disposal and transportation plan and a hazardous substance analysis result.
Besides, the waste paper handover and takeover details must be entered into the Allbaro System (www.allbaro.or.kr). Allbaro System is to manage and monitor
the procedure of waste discharging to final disposal in real time through internet. This is IT basis waste integrated management system
that can cause decreasing of waste, recycling and RFID system by the Korea Environment Corporation under the Ministry of Environment.
However, it was decided to temporarily exempt some of the submitted documents through the pre-consulting audit until the relevant laws were revised.
The notification will be exempted if the shipping process was completed from the export country
before July 3rd based on the departure date in BL or completed export customs clearance in Korea.
But if the amount of contamination exceeds 3% and does not notify, will consider as violate the acts of transboundary movements of wastes even the goods are shipped to Korea or completed export customs clearance before July 3rd.
Read original in Korean from Ministry of the Interior and safety of Korea
Refer to the information from the Ministry of Environment of Korea (Link)