Anlmal,Plant and Flsherles Quarantine and Inspection Agency

Evaluation of hazardousness and pilot study stage

Rural Administration Agency will be responsible for field cultivation study and approval, and evaluation of hazardousness

Approval for import and production

Responsibilities pertaining to LMO import and production approval shall be divided among relevant organizations depending on the purpose of their use.
- Those for feeds will be under the responsibility of National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, those for feed under the responsibility of Korea Seed & Variety Service, and those for feed under the responsibility of APQA

Border inspection

• Inspect import approval, marking and unauthorized import of LMO for agriculture and fisheries.
• Inspections of LMO for feeds and seeds will be under the responsibility of APQA while those for fisheries under the responsibility of APQA.

Management of domestic distribution

Supervise whether LMOs that went through the customs are unintentionally released to the environment during transportation and distribution, or used other than approved purpose
- Those for feeds will be under the responsibility of National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, those for feed under the responsibility of Korea Seed & Variety Service, and those for feed under the responsibility of APQA.
* Management of GMO marking in accordance with Agricultural Products Quality Control Act and Quality Control of Fishery Products Act

Roles of plant quarantine and monitoring system

• Roles: import inspection around the borders and monitoring of handling
• Monitoring system:

Border inspection system for agricultural GMOs

1. Legal Basis

LMO Acts (ACT ON THE PRESERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL GENETIC RESOURCES)

• Enforcement Decree of the Act, Enforcement Regulations and Comprehensive Notification of the Act
• Acts in English: http://www.biosafety.or.kr/english/index.asp

2. Subject of inspection

Those that are imported for the purposes of seeds or for feeds or feed processing in the original state and have concern for having influence over the crop cultivation environment when released to the environment
- Agricultural LMO products that are developed and approved world-wide and have possibility of commercial distribution which include 24 crops such as bean, corn, cotton and canola

[A LIST OF AGRICULTURAL LMOS SUBJECT TO BORDER INSPECTION]

3. Inspection application

Any person intending to import agricultural LMO must get import permits in advance and submit application forLMO inspection to APQA.

Crops and number of LMO events of each crop which can be imported at present

• 55 species of 5 crops: corn (30), cotton (12), canola (6), bean (4) and alfafa (3)

Agricultural commodities subject to LMO inspection will be inspected by APQA on inclusion of LMO, without importer having to apply for inspection.

4. Inspection procedure and methods

The inspection procedure is as follows: documents review (check import permit and registrations) → on-site survey (simplified express inspection, sample collection and marking check etc.) → in-depth lab testing (check inclusion of LMO)

Document review: Check commodities subject to inspection, import permit, inspection certificate.

• A checklist when submitting LMO import inspection application
  • Check for import permit and inspection certification
  • Check for markings on LC or invoice (if importing the produce)
• A checklist when not submitting LMO import inspection application
  • Check items subject to inspection and whether lab test can be exempted- Check for inspection certificate, and divided production and distribution management certificate

On-site survey

Visit the site and check the actual item and volume
In case of import permitted LMO, check the markings and supervise and oversee appropriateness of handling before clearance
Collect samples to assess inclusion of LMO and carry out simplified express examination

Laboratory Test

Conduct PCR on samples handed over by on-site inspector

• Determine whether it is an approved or unapproved LMO

In case of checking unintentional mixing

• If LMO authorized through hazardousness test in Korea is detected, conditioned weight test will be conducted. (apply to 3%)
• If LMO which is unauthorized in Korea but authorized by an exporting country or developed country is detected (apply to 0.5%)

※ Cases in which sample collection or lab test can be exempted during the on-site inspection

1. In case a test certificate issued by the exporting government is attached or description that the article is not LMO is included in the phytosanitary certificate;
2. In case divided production and distribution management certificate or a certificate approved by the exporting or producing government is attached; and
3. In case it is a standard sample to be submitted for risk assessment

5. Actions taken on the result

If approved as a result of inspection

• If LMO import permit is submitted
  • In case no unauthorized LMO event is detected but belongs to marked authorized event.
• If LMO import inspection application is not submitted
  • In case no unauthorized LMO event is detected but belongs to marked authorized event.
• If LMO import inspection application is not submitted
  • In case no LMO is detected
  • In case LMO approved through risk assessment is detected less than the amount of unintentional mixture
  • In case LMO approved through risk assessment has exceeded the amount of unintentional mixture but import permit is supplemented and submitted before the time limit

If destroyed or returned as a result of inspection

• If LMO is detected in a case where no import approval or registration is gained
• If LMO whose import or production is prohibited, limited or canceled is detected.