Korea recalls rise 5 percent on hazardous online imports

The number of products recalled in Korea due to safety issues increased around 5 percent in 2025 from a year earlier, data showed Monday, amid an increase in hazardous imported goods sold on online marketplaces.

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said 2,656 recall cases were reported last year, compared to 2,537 in 2024, mostly because products violated the Framework Act on Consumers.

The watchdog said the number of recall cases involving violations of the consumer act came to 851, rising around 42 percent from a year earlier, amid an increase in products that had already been recalled overseas being sold on domestic online marketplaces.

A recall refers to corrective actions taken by businesses, either voluntarily or in compliance with government recommendations or orders, to address product defects that pose or could pose harm to consumers.

“Considering the increase in hazardous imported goods sold locally amid a rise in direct purchases by consumers, [the FTC] is enhancing surveillance in cooperation with relevant agencies,” the watchdog said.

“The government is promptly suspending sales of hazardous products subject to recalls overseas or those found to pose safety risks through safety tests by requesting online marketplace operators to block their sales,” it added.

By category, recalls of industrial consumer goods totaled 1,282 cases in 2025, up 8.6 percent from the previous year.

Recalls of pharmaceutical products, including herbal medicines, fell 13.5 percent to 295 cases, while medical device recalls rose 8.5 percent to 308 cases.

Yonhap