[Press Release, Aug. 18 / Unofficial translation] Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Moves Forward with the Promotion of Conditional Import Inspection System　 - Transport of goods from bonded warehouse to warehouse for storage during import inspection is now permitted, and expected to reduce time and cost - □ The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS, Minister Lee Eui-Kyung) requested food importers to make full use of the “conditional import inspection system※” to facilitate domestic supply of imported food ingredients amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. ※ Conditional import inspection system: A system that issues import declaration certificates and allows warehousing at a storage declared by a business on condition that the distribution and sales are banned until the inspection results for imported foods corresponding to fresh foods etc. become available. ○ The MFDS has excluded all product items with a record of non-conformance in the last two years from the subjects of conditional import inspection regardless of their country of origin. However, from now on, only product items from the same country with non-conformance record will be excluded. √ (Example) Even if soybeans from State A had been found non-conforming in 2019, soybeans from State B that are chosen for random sampling in 2020 may be granted a conditional import inspection [Currently] Application rejected for all products under the same category ---> [Revised] Application accepted for a product item from a differentcountry of origin ○ Businesses that applied for conditional import inspection will be able to produce and sell their products immediately after they pass import inspection, which had been transported to and stored in the storage warehouse declared by the business. * Conditional import inspection has been utilized mostly for the importation of fresh foods (some 1,100 cases in 2019). Since companies will be able to apply for the inspection also for ingredients for their products through this measure, the number of application is expected to increase. ○ In addition, the MFDS will request local competent authorities for thorough follow-up managements to prevent the distribution or sales of foods under conditional import inspection out of storage warehouse before inspection results come out. □ The MFDS mentioned that this measure will be implemented on Aug. 18 ahead of the amendment of the relevant statute since it is pushed forward as “a part of the Active Administration Policy.” The Ministry also anticipates that the measure will help food businesses which are facing obstacles in supplying food ingredients due to COVID-19. ○ Accordingly, the amendment of the relevant statute (the “Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control”) will be completed by the end of this year.