The Seoul city government has asked online retail giants Temu and Aliexpress to suspend safety issues for certain children’s products and said some goods on Friday far exceeded local restrictions on hazardous substances.
In recent years, Chinese e-commerce Titans like Shein, Temu and Aliexpress have attracted a surge in global visibility, attracting consumers with a wide range of stylish, ultra-low-cost fashion and accessories, making them a major competitor to the U.S. giant Amazon.
Their rapid rise has sparked scrutiny of business practices and product safety, including in South Korea.
The Seoul Municipal Government said Friday that 35 children’s products sold on Temu and Aliexpress, including umbrellas, raincoats and rain boots, were recently inspected – and 11 were found to have failed to meet South Korea’s safety standards or restricted above locally.
In six umbrellas, the levels of phthalate plasticizers (used to make plastics more flexible) far exceed safety standards, the city said in a statement.
Some of these products limit the chemical to 443.5 times, while two items were found to have 27.7 times higher than locally acceptable levels.
According to the inspection results, the Seoul government said that “online platforms have been required to suspend the sale of non-compliant products.”
It also noted that “long-term exposure to harmful substances can affect the growth and health of children” and stressed the need for careful review of product information before purchasing.
Temu and Aliexpress did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
The Seoul government told AFP that the retailers have no legal obligation to comply with their requirements.
Seoul authorities say phthalate-based plasticizers can cause endocrine diseases, while exposure to safety restrictions can impair reproductive function and increase the risk of cancer.
Last year, the city said that the women’s accessories sold by Shein, Aliexpress and Temu sometimes contain toxic substances and sometimes hundreds of times higher than acceptable levels.
Last year, the EU added Shein to its list of digital companies large enough to comply with stricter safety rules, including measures to protect customers from unsafe products, especially those that may be harmful to minors.
