• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2008

The transgenic technologies and their product (living modified organisms) have been developed and commercialized enough to get much attention in terms of their potentials to solve the current global difficulties such as shortage of food and energy. Furthermore, they are expected to make a big role in improving human health levels and creating bio-economy as innovative tools to pursue environmentally sound economic development. However, for the technologies and products to be developed and used in such a way that they continuously give a good impact to human society, first and foremost safety issues surrounding them should be dealt with. Every stage from in-house R&D, pilot field application to on the shelves should be managed to ensure safety following them because many consumers tend to have fear before they get the right or needed information on the modern biotechnology. In this sense, managing research facilities and LMOs for R&D from the point of safety is very crucial in that they are in the early stage of technology or product development. This paper especially deals with those to be complied with by researchers according to the Act on transboundary movement of LMOs, etc, entered into the effect from Jan. 1 2008.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2003

Biotechnology is certainly one of the major landmarks in the 20th century history of science. It may produce enormous utility to human beings, but at the same time, it carries huge potential risks to the environment and public health. Thus, with a view to securing safety for the environment and public health in relation to the development and use of living modified organisms (LMOs), the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted, in which a regulation Procedure as to the transboundary movements, transportation, handling, and use of LMOs were drawn up. In order to prepare for the entry into force of the Protocol, the Republic of Korea legislated the "Act on the Transboundary Movements of living modified organisms(hereinafter referred as the 'Act')" in Mar 2001, and has pre-announced the enactments of the enforcement ordinance and the enforcement regulation to the Act. Pursuant to the Act, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, as a Competent National Authority, is making efforts to implement domestic biosafety schemes in cooperation with other bio-related government ministries. In order for these efforts to reap fruits, industry, academia, and research institutions should cooperate with one another, and civic groups and NGOs should narrow the differences in opinions and timely respond to the fast-changing situations. Focusing on the precautionary principle, the Protocol puts a great emphasis on the importance of information sharing amongst countries, and the Act also follows this principle. In order to gurantee biosafety, countries around the world, including the ROK, agreed to establish National Biosafety Clearing, designed to provide the information on the export/import of LMOs, R'||'&'||'Ds, risk assessment, safety control, etc. and register it on the CBD Central Biosafety Clearing House.e.