The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), led by Commissioner Oh Yu-Kyung, announced on June 5 that it has established a Public-Private Council for Cosmetics Safety Evaluation. This initiative aims to facilitate discussions surrounding the creation and provision of necessary documentation for cosmetics safety assessments, thereby enhancing cooperation within the cosmetics industry.

The council will include representatives from seven key entities, including major companies like Daebong LS, Intercare, Joopung Tech, Amorepacific, Kolmar Korea, Cosmax, LG Household & Health Care, and Korea Amway, alongside the Korea Cosmetic Association and the Korea Pharmaceutical Export Association. Its purpose is to ensure that responsible sales companies can obtain crucial product information—including compositions, toxicity data, and stability—more seamlessly from manufacturers and importers.

Meeting bi-weekly, the council aims to standardize the documentation procedures and modalities for providing safety evaluation data. This standardized approach is expected to reduce the compliance burden for responsible sales companies, ultimately driving operational efficiencies and enhancing the reliability of product safety information.

Since April, the MFDS has been offering tailored consulting sessions for small cosmetics companies regarding the preparation of safety evaluation reports. The initiative has already drawn significant interest, with 575 participants attending briefings conducted across six regions from April 22 to May 27. This response underlines a growing desire among smaller enterprises for structured guidance on meeting safety standards.

A participant in the consultations emphasized the importance of establishing a framework for manufacturers to provide required safety evaluation data, suggesting this would alleviate pressures on responsible sales companies. The MFDS is responding by creating a dedicated website, expected to launch by the end of June, which will share updates on the safety evaluation system, discussion points from council meetings, educational materials on assessment methods, and a FAQ section.

The MFDS believes that the operations of this council will bolster K-beauty’s export competitiveness. This proactive stance indicates a strategic commitment to not only enhance safety standards but also to position South Korea as a leader in the global beauty market.