Will imported water bottles also be label-free?

South Korea is reviewing whether to extend its label-free requirement for domestically produced bottled mineral water to imports.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment recently met with bottled water importers to seek feedback on whether they could switch to bottles without wraparound plastic labels, according to Yonhap News Agency Sunday.

The ministry described the meeting as part of routine industry consultations that covered several issues and said it had yet to decide whether to extend the requirement.

The review comes as domestic producers raise concerns that the rules put them at a disadvantage on store shelves, where imported bottles can still carry labels.

Kim Do-young, president of Jeju Province Development Corp., which produces Jeju Samdasoo, said at a recent press briefing that shoppers took longer to find the brand after it switched to label-free bottles, potentially affecting what they chose to buy.

Kim said he supported the policy's aim and would ask authorities to apply the same requirement to imports.

The rule took effect on Jan. 1 for domestically produced bottled mineral water. Product information previously printed on plastic labels is available through QR codes on bottle caps. Retailers can also scan the codes at checkout.

The government provided a one-year transition period for bottles sold individually in stores, taking into account that some retailers would need time to adjust their checkout systems.

The ministry estimates the domestic rule could reduce plastic waste by about 2,270 metric tons a year, based on the roughly 5.2 billion bottles of mineral water produced in South Korea in 2024. Removing the labels also saves consumers a step when sorting empty bottles for recycling.

Imported bottled mineral water remains outside the scope of the requirement. The rule also does not cover products legally classified as mixed beverages, a category that includes some water products with added minerals.

Imports reportedly account for a single-digit share of Korea's bottled mineral water market, according to Yonhap.

The ministry has also begun examining the broader bottled water market. Figures from the Samil PwC Research Institute showed that Korea had 63 bottled mineral water producers and 107 importers as of September 2024.