Thorough Verification of 'Haewoejikgu'... Seoul City Signs MOU with Private Inspection Agencies

Seoul City Signs MOU with FITI Testing & Research Institute and KATRI Testing & Research Institute through Korea Conformity Laboratories

Seoul Metropolitan Government has partnered with private inspection agencies to more thoroughly verify the safety of overseas online direct purchase products.

On the morning of the 24th, the city will sign a "Business Agreement for Consumer Protection on Overseas Online Platforms" at Seoul City Hall with the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL), FITI Testing & Research Institute, and KATRI Testing & Research Institute, which are safety certification bodies under the National Institute of Technology and Standards. The signing ceremony will be attended by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Lee Sang-wook, Deputy Director of KCL, Kim Hwa-young, Director of FITI Testing & Research Institute, and Shin Dong-jun, Director of KATRI Testing & Research Institute.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

KCL is the only institution in Korea that performs safety certification for all children's products requiring safety certification. FITI Testing & Research Institute is an affiliated organization of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s National Institute of Technology and Standards and is the first internationally accredited testing institution under the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS). KATRI Testing & Research Institute, established in 1965, is an internationally accredited comprehensive testing and certification organization.

Seoul Metropolitan Government and the three institutions agreed to establish a continuous cooperative system to conduct safety inspections on more overseas direct purchase products and promptly share information with citizens to create a safe and healthy consumption environment. The cost of safety inspections will be shared equally between the city and the inspection agencies. Additionally, for items such as food utensils, sanitary products, and cosmetics, safety inspections will be conducted jointly using the expertise of the Seoul Institute of Health and Environment.

Earlier, in April, Seoul announced measures to secure safety for overseas online platform services and has been conducting weekly safety inspections on direct purchase products, publicly sharing the results with citizens. The three institutions participating in this agreement are the ones conducting these inspections.

Starting next month, safety inspections will be conducted not only on children's products but also on food containers and sanitary products closely related to citizens' daily lives. In July and August, focused inspections will be carried out on products expected to see a seasonal surge in demand, such as water play items, umbrellas, and sunglasses.

Mayor Oh said, "Consumers’ right to choose must be fully guaranteed, but it is Seoul’s responsibility to protect citizens’ safe lives from hidden threats in the process. Seoul’s pioneering and proactive safety inspections have prompted the government and other local governments to take various measures, and today’s agreement marks the beginning of a multifaceted cooperative system and will serve as a preemptive model ensuring citizens’ safety more thoroughly."