Harmful Substances Found in Overseas Direct Purchase Children's Bags and Shoes... Up to 428 Times the Standard Limit

Analysis of Safety Inspection Results for Overseas Direct Purchase Products in Seoul
7 out of 8 Children's Leather Products Contain Harmful Substances

Seoul City conducted safety inspections on leather products such as children's bags and shoes sold on overseas direct purchase platforms and found harmful substances exceeding the standard by up to 428 times. The city has been conducting inspections for two months, and harmful substances exceeding the standard were found in about 4 out of 10 overseas direct purchase products.

On the 28th, Seoul City announced that harmful substances were detected in 7 out of 8 children's leather products sold on the Chinese overseas direct purchase platform 'Shein' based on safety inspection results from the 5th week of May. In the case of children's leather bags, harmful substances were detected in all four types tested. One product contained formaldehyde exceeding the standard by 1.2 times, and the other three products contained phthalate plasticizers exceeding the standard by up to 153 times. Among these, two products also exceeded the standard for heavy metals (such as lead).

Children's leather bag found to contain harmful substances according to Seoul City's safety inspection results. Photo by Seoul City

Phthalate plasticizers, lead, and formaldehyde were also found to exceed the standards in two types of children's shoes and children's leather belts. One shoe insole showed formaldehyde levels 1.8 times the standard, and another shoe contained phthalate plasticizers exceeding the standard by 428 times. In the physical safety requirements test, small shoe accessories detached, resulting in a non-compliance judgment. Lead in the leather belts exceeded the safety standard by 1.78 times.

Since the first safety inspection results were announced on the 8th of last month, Seoul City has disclosed harmful substance detection results seven times for products sold on platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein. Out of a total of 93 products tested, 40 products (43%) were found to contain harmful substances. The city has requested domestic and international online platforms to stop selling products confirmed to be harmful, blocking access to those items.

The most frequently detected harmful substance so far has been phthalate plasticizers, found in 25 products including toys, stationery, and accessories. Phthalate plasticizers can cause endocrine disruption, affecting reproductive functions such as reduced sperm count, infertility, and premature birth. They can also cause irritation to the eyes and skin upon contact. Next, heavy metals such as lead and nickel were detected above the standard in 15 products. Heavy metals are not easily expelled from the body and accumulate, potentially affecting health in the long term.

Additionally, banned preservatives such as CMIT (Chloromethylisothiazolinone) and MIT (Methylisothiazolinone), which are components of humidifier disinfectants, were detected in 3 cases, along with formaldehyde (2 cases), boron (2 cases), and barium (1 case) exceeding the standards. Notably, humidifier disinfectant components were detected in slime and clay that children directly handle.

The city plans to continue conducting weekly safety inspections and expand the inspection targets from children's products to frequently used daily items such as food containers, hygiene products, DIY furniture, and cosmetics. In July, safety inspections will focus intensively on water play products. For products confirmed to be harmful, the city has requested domestic and international online platforms to stop sales and block access. In fact, overseas platforms like AliExpress and Temu no longer sell products with harmful substances after the city's sales suspension requests.

Song Ho-jae, Seoul City's Director of Labor, Fairness, and Coexistence Policy, stated, "The interim inspection results show that numerous harmful products threaten the daily lives of citizens, especially children. We will expand the scope of safety inspections and establish various public-private cooperation systems to thoroughly protect citizens' safety."