South Korea Identifies 39 Non-Compliant Imported Products in Safety Inspection
16. October 2025The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) has announced the results of its latest safety inspection on imported consumer goods purchased through overseas online platforms. Out of 206 products examined, 39 items failed to meet Korean safety standards, representing a non-compliance rate of 18.9 %, nearly four times higher than the average rate for domestically distributed products earlier this year.
The investigation focused on products popular for outdoor and daily use in the autumn season. Electrical devices, helmets, and children’s items usually require KC Safety Certification in order to be approved for import and sale in Korea. Tests covered chemical substance detection, electric-shock protection, and impact resistance, among other safety criteria.
Major Findings by Category
- Household products: 11 items failed, including eight types of bicycle and motorcycle helmets. Several helmets broke or detached during dynamic-tension testing, revealing weak fastening systems that could not maintain required strap strength under load.
- Children’s products: 9 items were found non-compliant, including toys containing excessive levels of phthalate plasticizers—up to 420 times the permitted concentration—and slime toys with boron content nearly five times above the limit.
- Electrical goods: 19 items were identified as hazardous, such as DC power adapters and multi-socket plugs with insufficient insulation clearance and excessive temperature rise, creating potential fire and shock risks.
Examples of Non-Conforming Products
Among the products that failed testing were:
- Adult bicycle helmets whose chin-strap buckles tore or slipped open under tension, violating impact and retention strength criteria.
- A portable 100 W USB-C multi-port charger that reached over 130 °C at the coil during operation—well above the 110 °C safety threshold.
- A multi-socket power strip where live parts were exposed, making electric shock possible during normal use.
- A children’s sticker toy set containing phthalate levels exceeding limits by more than 300-fold, posing chemical exposure risks for young users.
- Electric scooters that reached top speeds of 38–39 km/h, exceeding the legal limit of 25 km/h for personal mobility devices.
Director-General Kim Dae-ja stated that additional inspections will be carried out later this year, focusing on winter products, and that authorities will continue monitoring to prevent unsafe goods from re-entering the domestic market.
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