South Korea Orders Recall of 63 Unsafe Consumer Products
4. December 2025The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) has announced mandatory recalls for 63 consumer products found to violate national safety standards. The decision follows an extensive four-month inspection of 1,100 items across 75 product categories, including children’s goods, household items, and electrical appliances. According to the report, the recalled products include 42 children’s products, 14 household goods, and 7 electrical items. The inspection targeted high-risk or frequently reported products such as children’s textiles, batteries, and heating devices. In order to avoid such safety and quality deficiencies, KC certification is generally required before many products can be introduced and distributed.
Major Findings
Among the children’s products, 15 textile items failed due to improper cords and drawstrings that posed strangulation risks, while several others exceeded limits for hazardous substances such as lead, phthalates, and formaldehyde. Notably, one children’s knit cardigan contained lead levels 379 times higher than the Korean limit, and a child’s pair of shoes exceeded phthalate concentration limits by over 270 times.
In the household goods category, four eye massagers were found to overheat beyond the permitted 50°C threshold, reaching up to 64°C during abnormal operation. Two handheld laser pointers also exceeded the Class 1 laser safety limit of 1 mW output, while a kickboard and a set of roller sports protective gear failed braking and impact absorption tests respectively.
Among electrical items, several DC power adapters and heating appliances were judged to pose potential fire or burn risks due to excessive temperature rise or insufficient insulation clearance. One rechargeable battery unit ignited during overcharge testing, and a heated seat cushion recorded a surface temperature of 91°C, surpassing the allowable 85°C limit.
Examples of Non-Conforming Products
The KATS report highlighted several specific cases:
- A children’s hoodie with loose cords and toggles that were not properly secured, violating safety rules on drawstring attachment.
- A toy slime product containing boron levels more than six times above the permitted limit, and traces of banned preservatives such as MIT and CMIT.
- A children’s umbrella whose soft plastic handle and hook included phthalate plasticizers exceeding legal limits by over 500 times.
- A DC charger that exceeded the allowed coil temperature by over 7°C, indicating poor insulation and heat control.
To prevent further distribution, KATS has published detailed information on all recalled products on the Product Safety Information Center and the Consumer Platform Consumer24. The agency also registered the products in the Hazardous Product Sales Blocking System, which links over 260,000 retail and online stores nationwide, ensuring that sales are automatically halted.
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