7 industries added to integrated environmental permit system as paperwork cut from 73 forms to 1

The government is expanding the industries eligible for an integrated environmental permit system that allows companies to obtain up to 10 environmental licenses in a single application.

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said Sunday it will issue a legislative notice Wednesday for amendments to the enforcement decree and rules of the Act on Control of Pollution-generating Facilities, which would broaden the scope of the integrated environmental permit system.

Seven industries will be added: automobile manufacturing, secondary battery manufacturing, non-alcoholic beverage production, oils and dairy products, other food products, flat glass, and rubber products.

Implementation dates will be staggered — January 2028 and January 2029 — to give industries time to prepare and to allow for the development of best available technique reference documents. Existing facilities will receive a four-year grace period before the permit requirement takes effect.

Under the integrated environmental permit system, companies can obtain up to 10 environmental licenses at once, replacing 73 separate application forms with a single integrated environmental management plan.

The system is also expected to allow authorities to set facility-specific emission standards for high-polluting sites and apply best available techniques tailored to each operation.

The amendments would also allow licensed permit agents to prepare the annual reports that permitted facilities are currently required to submit themselves. Agents would be responsible for verifying compliance with emission standards and permit conditions, and facilities whose agents receive high marks for their inspections would be eligible for an extended regular inspection cycle of up to five years.

The ministry said it would reduce or waive related surcharges for power generation facilities operating under the integrated permit system when air pollutant concentrations temporarily and unavoidably exceed standards due to emergency shutdowns or restarts ordered by grid dispatch authorities.

Small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 50 full-time employees will be allowed to appoint as integrated environmental managers individuals with at least eight years of experience in the environmental field who have completed the relevant training, even if they do not meet the formal qualification requirements. Companies that grow from SME to mid-sized enterprise status will also receive a one-year transition period during which the SME rules continue to apply.

The ministry said the amendments reflect the outcome of consultations held through the Climate, Energy and Environment Policy Council and discussions with the public-private joint regulatory rationalization task force under the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

Kim Jin-sik, director general of the ministry's air environment bureau, said the amendments were prepared "to rationally expand the scope of integrated permits in line with changes in industrial structure and pollutant emission characteristics, and to enhance the expertise and accountability of agents preparing annual reports." He added that the ministry would "continue to improve the integrated permit system so that it raises the level of environmental management while reasonably reflecting the realities of business operations."