Tracker › Asia-Pacific › South Korea BHR Act

Asia-Pacific

South Korea Business and Human Rights Act

South Korea BHR Act · South Korea

In committee Last updated 1 June 2026

Plain-language summary

South Korea has been developing national legislation on business and human rights since 2021, when the government published a National Action Plan. A formal draft bill has now advanced to committee review in the National Assembly, marking the most significant legislative progress to date.

The proposed law would require companies meeting size thresholds to conduct due diligence on human rights and environmental risks in their operations and supply chains, publish annual reports, and establish grievance mechanisms. The draft follows the UN Guiding Principles framework and takes significant inspiration from the German LkSG.

South Korea is a major buyer of garments, electronics components, and agricultural commodities from South and Southeast Asia. A mandatory HRDD law would create significant new compliance demands on suppliers to Korean companies, particularly in the electronics and apparel sectors.

Key obligations

  1. 1

    Human rights due diligence (proposed)

    Covered companies would be required to identify, prevent, and address human rights and environmental risks across their supply chains.

  2. 2

    Annual reporting (proposed)

    Companies would need to publish annual due diligence reports.

  3. 3

    Grievance mechanism (proposed)

    Companies would need to establish accessible grievance mechanisms for workers in their supply chains.

Implementation timeline

2021

National Action Plan published

South Korean government published its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, committing to develop legislation.

2025

Draft bill introduced to National Assembly

A formal draft bill was introduced for legislative consideration.

June 2026

Bill advances to committee review

The National Assembly committee on trade and industry began formal review of the bill.

2027 (projected)

Potential enactment

If the committee process proceeds without significant delay, the bill could be enacted in 2027.

Change log

Official sources