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Korea Consumer Agency

Burns and other skin injuries caused by leg and foot massagers equipped with heating functions have been steadily increasing, calling for caution.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 21st that the number of injuries related to leg and foot massagers more than doubled from 37 cases in 2022 to 81 last year. In particular, a total of 205 related incidents were reported over the past three years (2022 to October 2025), 76.6% of which involved burns or skin damage.

Under the current Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act, leg massagers are classified as ‘electric massagers’ and must be certified for compliance with safety standards. However, products operating on AC of 30V or less, DC of 42V or less, or exclusively on batteries are exempt from certification.

The Consumer Agency examined the safety of 10 leg and foot heating massagers on the market that are exempt from safety certification and found that all met the safety standards for electric massagers.

However, warnings to prevent low-temperature burns were found to be insufficient. In fact, all products examined lacked such warnings on the device body or on their online sales pages, or the warnings were very inadequate.

An official at the Korea Consumer Agency said, “Do not use the massager directly on bare skin, and strictly follow the recommended usage time for each product,” adding, “If you experience any unusual skin symptoms during use, stop using it immediately.”