Overseas Recalled Products Openly Distributed Domestically... Food and Beverages Increased 18 Times in the Last 5 Years

ID photo of Song Seok-jun, member of the People Power Party. (Photo by Song Seok-jun's office)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] As overseas direct purchases increase, the domestic distribution of products recalled abroad is also rising.

According to data requested by Song Seokjun, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee from the People Power Party, from the Korea Consumer Agency on the 7th, the number of corrective actions recommended for overseas recalled products, which was 106 cases in 2017, has nearly quadrupled to 400 cases as of August this year.

By year, the numbers were 106 cases in 2017, 132 in 2018, 137 in 2019, 153 in 2020, 382 in 2021, and 400 as of August this year.

Among the products distributed domestically and subject to corrective recommendations, the most frequent were food and beverages, increasing about 17.5 times from 10 cases in 2017 to 175 cases in 2022, followed by cosmetics at 11.6 times (5 cases in 2017 → 58 cases in 2022), and home appliances, electronics, and communication devices at 8.6 times (8 cases in 2017 → 69 cases in 2022).

Clothing and fashion products were detected in 2 cases in 2018 and increased to 28 cases in 2021, while pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, and medical devices rose 2.3 times from 7 cases in 2019 to 16 cases in 2021.

The Korea Consumer Agency's detection of redistributed overseas recalled products was 31 cases in 2019, 44 in 2020, 58 in 2021, and 79 as of August 2022, showing that out of a total of 1,072 cases, 212 products were redistributed in the market.

Assemblyman Song Seokjun stated, "The domestic distribution of products recalled overseas is increasing recently," and added, "While expanding publicity on measures to block overseas recalls, consumers also need to check for recall status before purchasing overseas products."