South Korea To End Animal Testing

The South Korean government announced this week a plan to end needless testing on animals for cosmetics. The ban is part of South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’s 5 Year Plan for Animal Welfare, which includes banning the testing of finished cosmetics product on animals. There will also be consideration of a further ban on the testing of ingredients.

Though the animal testing won’t end immediately, South Korea is following the same strategy used by the European Union. In 2004, the EU banned the testing of complete cosmetics on animals, followed by a ban on testing cosmetic ingredients on animals in 2008, and then a complete ban for all cosmetic testing on animals in 2013.

In addition to the EU, South Korea joins China, Brazil and India in their efforts to eradicate cosmetic testing on animals.

“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,” said Michelle Thew, Chief Executive of Cruelty Free International. “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.”