Products recalled overseas due to safety issues are being distributed openly in Korea, calling for caution.

The Korea Consumer Agency announced on the 16th that last year it took measures such as blocking distribution for 1,396 cases of overseas recalled products being distributed domestically.

According to the agency, over the past three years the number of corrective actions involving overseas recalled products has increased each year, from 983 in 2023 to 1,336 in 2024 and 1,396 last year.

In particular, among the products subject to corrective action last year, the number whose distribution in Korea was identified for the first time was 826, up 43.2% from the previous year.

By product category, appliances, electronics, and telecommunications devices accounted for the largest share at 28.3%, followed by food and beverages at 19.7% and cosmetics at 12.1%.

As for recall reasons, for appliances, electronics, and telecommunications devices, electrical hazards such as risk of electric shock were the most common at 30.8%. The presence of hazardous or chemical substances (27.4%) and fire risks such as overheating, smoke generation, or ignition (22.2%) also accounted for significant shares.

For food and beverages, the presence of hazardous or allergenic substances reached 68.7%, and for cosmetics, the presence of hazardous or chemical substances was the most common at 62%.

By country, among 536 cases where the country of manufacture was identified, products made in China were the most common at 62%, followed by those from Japan at 6.5% and from the United States at 5.6%.

Specifically, for appliances, electronics, and telecommunications devices, Chinese-made products were the most prevalent. For food and beverages, Japanese-made products were more widely distributed, and for cosmetics, those made in the United States were more common.

The problem is that overseas recalled products are often distributed via proxy purchasing services rather than official importers, so even if they are blocked by existing sellers, they can be redistributed through other operators. This is why rigorous oversight of the distribution of overseas recalled products is necessary.

As a result of the agency entering into a ‘Voluntary Product Safety Agreement’ with domestic and overseas online platform operators and working to prevent the redistribution of blocked products, the number of redistribution cases was 570, with the share decreasing by 16 percentage points from a year earlier.

The agency plans again this year to strengthen safety management by expanding the participating bodies in the pan-government council for preventing the inflow of hazardous overseas goods, the ‘Overseas Hazardous Goods Management Working Council’, and by enhancing early detection, blocking, and institutional improvement. It also plans to shorten the monitoring cycle for redistribution in cooperation with domestic and overseas online platforms.

An official at the agency said “When purchasing products via direct overseas purchases or proxy buying, you should check on the Consumer Injury Surveillance System website, among others, whether the product has been recalled overseas“ while adding ”You should also carefully check the condition of the delivered product, such as damage or contamination, and whether it has the relevant country safety certification“ said.