Environment ministry blocks 189 unsafe direct-purchase chemical products

The environment ministry said Wednesday it has blocked the sale of 189 household chemical products purchased directly from overseas after finding they failed to meet domestic safety standards. The measures follow a survey covering 2,213 items distributed domestically or available through cross-border e-commerce through August.

While 2.4 percent of 1,313 domestically distributed products violated safety rules this year, the failure rate for overseas direct purchases stood at 21 percent. The domestic violation rate is lower than the 3.2 percent recorded in 2024 and the 3.7 percent seen in 2025.

Non-compliant overseas items were heavily concentrated in fragrances and deodorizers, paints and coatings, and adhesives. These three groups accounted for 92.1 percent of all failed overseas products, including 75 items such as incense and aroma oils, 69 automotive touch-up paints and leather dyes, and 30 types of nail and craft glues.

Products bought directly from foreign online retailers are not subject to the same pre-market safety checks as domestic goods, making it difficult for consumers to verify safety before purchase. In response, the ministry expanded its annual survey volume for these items to over 2,000 units starting in 2025.

Upon confirming the violations, the ministry requested that overseas sellers block the listings and asked the Korea Customs Service to suspend customs clearance. For domestic violators, authorities completed administrative dispositions including sales suspensions and recall orders.

Huh Hye-in, director of the Chemical Product Management Division at the ministry, emphasized that isolating non-compliant products from the market immediately upon discovery is critical. "Since overseas direct-purchased household chemical products are not subject to the safety confirmation and reporting standards applied to domestically distributed products, consumers must carefully check whether the product they intend to purchase is listed as non-compliant on the Green Life portal before making a buying decision," she said.