The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs proposed the ban as part of its 5 Year Plan for Animal Welfare, and it will be followed by consideration of a further ban on the testing of ingredients, following in the footsteps that the European Union took on arriving at a total ban.
Following earlier progress in India, China and ASEAN, Korea has become the second country in Asia to set out on the route to completely ending animal testing for cosmetics and it is a decision that has been welcomed by campaign groups.
Breakthrough
Many organisations have been pressing the Korean Government for a programme to phase out cosmetics testing on animals, and one such group, Cruelty Free International, is happy that a breakthrough has been achieved.
“I am delighted that, after two years of detailed work by Cruelty Free International, we have been able to achieve this breakthrough. We look forward to an end to animal suffering for cosmetics in Korea,” says Cruelty Free International East Asia Manager, Hyung Ju Lee.
The organisation’s chief executive, Michelle Thew, adds that the important breakthrough is very welcome and that Cruelty Free International is grateful to the members of the National Assembly who helped to press the case.
“We will now be urging implementation as soon as possible so that the full ban can be achieved at the earliest possible date, bringing Korea into line with Europe and India. We hope to see this echoed in 2015 by other Asian countries where we are active. This is a great start to the New Year," says Thew.
Cruelty Free International states that, to date, significant progress has been made around the world in moving towards the goal of a world free of cosmetics tests on animals.