National definition of waste

Pursuant to Article 2 of the Waste Management Act (enacted in 1986), the waste is defined as “any matter such as trash, fly ash, sluge, waste oil, waste acid, waste alkali and animal carcasses, which becomes unnecessary for human living or business activities.” However, radioactive wastes or gaseous matters, as well as wastewater and sewage that flow into water pollution prevention facilities are not included in the definition

National definition of hazardous waste

Pursuant to provisions in Article 2 of the Presidential Decree of the Act on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, hazardous waste is defined as:

1. Waste listed in Annex I or Annex VIII that exhibit any of the hazardous characteristics listed in Annex III.
2. Waste listed in Annex II.
3. Waste that Korea has notified to the convention secretariat as being hazardous pursuant to Article III Paragraph I, II, and III and Article XI.

The specified list of hazardous wastes controlled by Korean Government was revised in 2007.

Article 1(1)b waste

Republic of Korea regulates/controls additional wastes as hazardous that are not included in Art. 1 (1)a of the Basel Convention and would be controlled for the purpose of transboundary movements pursuant to Art. 1 (1)b.

Wastes requiring special consideration

The Amber Tier wastes determined by OECD are additionally controlled for the purpose of transboundary movement.