With the introduction of an extended producer responsibility system from 1 January 2003 under the Act on the Promotion of Resources Saving and Recycling, a direct recycling obligation (i.e. fixing waste recycling targets) has been imposed on producers and importers of heavy waste-generating products and packaging materials. Under the Act, when producing or importing television sets, refrigerators, household washing machines, air conditioners, personal computers, hi-fi systems, or mobile phones (including batteries and chargers), the facility is required to recycle wastes generated from those products or their packages independently or contract with a waste recycling facility, or pay the appropriate charges to an appropriate waste recycling industry mutual-aid association. If recycling electronic products, the facility must reuse recyclable parts through intermediate treatment processes (e.g. dismantling, compressing, breaking, cutting), and recycle recyclable materials or export them for recycling. When selling new products subject to mandatory recycling, the sellers of the products must collect discarded products from customers with an additional charge being levied on the customers.
Since early 2004, the Ministry of Environment of Korea has carried out a feasibility study to introduce an “Eco-Assurance System” which would regulate the use of hazardous substances in products. Also on 25 November 2004 the Eco-Assurance Committee for the Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles was formed by the Ministry of Environment together with major Korean companies (e.g. Daewoo Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors, GM-Daewoo Motors), the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Construction and Transportation. The Eco-Assurance Committee has discussed regulatory measures of the developed countries, their impacts on Korean industries and responsive measures, identification of products subject to a Korean eco-assurance system, schedule to introduce an eco-assurance system, and system operation. These activities resulted in the Act on the Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles of 27 April 2007. The Act of 27 April 2007 will restrict the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment as well as in vehicles. It will also impose stringent recycling requirements on end-of-life vehicles.