On March 3 6, 2026, South Korea notified the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade Committee of its proposed revision to the G/TBT/N/KOR/1345Genetically Modified Food Labeling Standard

According to the revised content, even if genetically modifiedDNAor proteins cannot be detected in the final products such as soy sauce, sugar, and edible oils, as long as genetically modified raw materials were used in the production and processing process, the relevant information on genetically modified foods must be labeled in accordance with regulations. This requirement breaks the previous restriction that only foods containing detected genetically modified ingredients needed to be labeled.Considering the pace of industry adaptation, the new regulations will be implemented in stages, with soy sauce products taking effect from2026December31 andsugar and edible oil products taking effect on2027December31.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of South Korea stated that this revision aims to enhance food information transparency and protect consumers' right to know and right to choose. The proposal was published in a related notice on2026year2month27day, and is currently in the public consultation phase. The consultation period ends on2026year5month5day. Relevant opinions can be submitted to the KoreanWTO-TBTConsultation Point and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.