24% of Products Investigated by Incheon Main Customs Contain Carcinogens
Harmful Substances Found in Childcare Products... Concerns Arise
Ali and Temu "Problematic Items Immediately Removed"
Concerns are growing over reports that products purchased from Ali and Temu, which are popular low-cost goods in South Korea, have been found to contain carcinogens. While the predominant reaction has been cold indifference, with comments like "I knew this would happen," there are also heated responses accusing these companies of "deliberately shipping carcinogens to Korea to harm Koreans."
On the 7th, Incheon Customs announced that an analysis of accessory components sold on AliExpress and Temu found carcinogens exceeding the standard limits in 96 out of 404 products (24%). Cadmium and lead were detected at levels ranging from at least 10 times to as much as 700 times the domestic safety standards. Seoul City also investigated 31 top-selling children's and household products on AliExpress and revealed that 8 products contained harmful substances far exceeding permissible limits.
An unbelievable situation has arisen where even products used by children are problematic. Phthalate-based plasticizers, known for reproductive toxicity and carcinogenic potential, were detected in children's leather bags. Users of AliExpress and Temu are anxious. One user said, “The prices were so low that I thought I got a great deal and bought various items, but I was shocked. I don’t want to use dangerous products.”
Internet communities are showing intense reactions to the news that carcinogens were detected in Ali and Temu products. [Photo by Internet Community]
According to WiseApp, Retail, and Goods, last month the number of Korean users of applications ranked as follows: Coupang (30.86 million), AliExpress (8.87 million), Temu (8.29 million), and 11st (7.4 million). Except for Coupang, Ali and Temu have surpassed all domestic e-commerce platforms by leveraging their low-price competitiveness. AliExpress stated, "We have initiated an internal investigation regarding the recently reported products. If products requiring safety certification do not comply with domestic regulations, they will be immediately removed from the platform." Temu also announced, "We prioritize customer safety and are taking immediate action to exclude the problematic items from our sales listings."
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