Korea bill to end cosmetic tests on animals

GLOBAL campaigning organization Cruelty Free International welcomes the implementation of a Korean bill that will end all testing of cosmetics and their ingredients on animals by 2017.

 

The launch of the new regulation will make Korea the second country in Asia to pursue a program that will stop animal testing for cosmetics. The bill is a result of extensive negotiations by Cruelty Free International with ministerial officials, the Food and Drug Administration, parliamentarians led by Rep. Jeong-Lim Moon, and members of the Health and Welfare Committee, who will present the bill to implement the proposals this March.  

 

Cruelty Free International, whose sole mission is to end the use of animals for cosmetics tests for products and their ingredients, works with governments, regulators, companies, and partner organizations around the world. It has offices in the UK, US, Brazil, and Asia. 

 

The organization has added the issue of animal testing on the agenda of many governments for the very first time. It led the 20-year campaign for the European Union animal cosmetics testing ban in 2013. Significant progress has been made in Brazil, India, Israel, and New Zealand to date in moving towards the group’s goal of a world free of cosmetics tests on animals.

 

Hyung Ju Lee, Cruelty Free International East Asia manager, said, "I am thrilled Korea has set a concrete date and commitment to ban animal testing for cosmetics ingredients and products following two years of detailed work by Cruelty Free International. I would like to thank all our negotiating partners for working with us in achieving this breakthrough. We look forward to an end to animal suffering for cosmetics in Korea."

 

According to Cruelty Free International chief executive Michelle Thew, "We are delighted Korea has made the decisive move to ban cruel cosmetics, after years of preparatory work with Cruelty Free International.  This is a great start to the New Year, and we call on the rest of the world to seize this opportunity to consign animal testing for cosmetics to the global history books."