Response
1. Recently, a lot of the accident occurred on due to chemaicals in South Korea.
Over 100 people were killed with (toxic) humidifier disinfectants, and there
were explosions at some local factory. It is hard to know information about
hazardous chemical used in food, drink, clothing and suchlike provisions as
well as substances in used plants. Pulic opinion has worsend, so the related
laws are enacted or revised.
laws about the right of access to informaion on hazardous substances and
wastes in Korea.
-one is 'Act on the registraion and evaluation,etc. of chemical substances
(Enforcement Date 01. Jan,2015/ Act No.11789, May,2013)',
-the other is 'Toxic chemicals control Act (Act No.12490)'
6. The Korea Government limit the right of access to information on hazardous
substances and waste in the following cases.
-corporate secret matters(upon request)
-national security, defense and unification, foreign affairs
-threat to people's lives, property, property protection
the above regulation(to limit the right of access to information) is
comprehensive, so NGO that want to secure the right to know sue the
government.
case which information is limited
-the environmental problems of the US military bases in Korea : Since 2000, a
new SOFA environmental provision was enacted for the clean-up system of
environmental pollution. However, the US military still doesn't come fully under
the municipal environmental law, which makes it impossible to gain the rights to
know information on hazardous substances or investigate according to the
municipal law.