Proceedings of the Asia regional workshop on the

Introduction
DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
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by Rim Song Chol
Pesticide Management is done under <strong>the</strong> coordinated planning and leadership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
government, from <strong>the</strong> principle <strong>of</strong> contributing to <strong>the</strong> protection <strong>of</strong> human health and ecological
system and increasing agricultural production.
After adoption <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> “International Code <strong>of</strong> Conduct on <strong>the</strong> Distribution and Use <strong>of</strong>
Pesticides”, <strong>the</strong> DPRK government has done <strong>the</strong> necessary work to discharge its duty in managing
pesticides.
This report gives an outline <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> past activities and present situation in <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong>
pesticides management in <strong>the</strong> DPRK.
National legislation and implementing agencies for <strong>the</strong> international code <strong>of</strong> conduct
– National Legislation
The main legislation for environment protection in <strong>the</strong> DPRK is “<strong>the</strong> DPRK Law on <strong>the</strong>
Protection <strong>of</strong> Environment”(April 7, 1986).
It points out clearly <strong>the</strong> principles and activities needed to conserve, protect and improve <strong>the</strong>
country’s environment, and to minimize any negative effects that may cause to human health and
economic development by destruction and pollution <strong>of</strong> environment.
It was amended twice after its adoption, and is in <strong>the</strong> renewed process in <strong>the</strong> light <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
recent global efforts for protecting <strong>the</strong> ecological environment and in due reflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> contents <strong>of</strong>
some international conventions or protocols on environmental protection (e.g. Rotterdam
Convention, Stockholm Convention and Montreal Protocol etc.).
This law includes some provisions <strong>of</strong> regulating <strong>the</strong> production, import and use <strong>of</strong> pesticides
that damage human health and environment such as soil, air, forest, sea, freshwater and underground
water, and <strong>the</strong>se provisions are considered as basic provisions in national pesticide management.
The “Law on Land”, “Law on Rivers”, “Law on Agriculture”, “Law on Pomiculture”, “Law
on Fish Breeding”, “Law on Quality Control”, “Law on Conservation <strong>of</strong> Biodiversity” and “Law on
Public Health” also mention <strong>the</strong> provisions <strong>of</strong> regulating <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> dangerous pesticides and
protecting <strong>the</strong> ecological environment and people who handle <strong>the</strong>se pesticides.
The “DPRK Law on Pesticide Management”, “Regulation on Pesticide Management” and
o<strong>the</strong>r detailed regulations, all <strong>the</strong>se are main legislations for pesticide management, which are now
under consideration for fur<strong>the</strong>r amendment.
The “DPRK Law on Pesticide Management” is <strong>the</strong> main legislation for managing pesticides,
covering all questions arising in <strong>the</strong> production, supply, import, export, storage, use, registration and
examination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pesticides.