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The Government of the City of Seoul has asked retail giants online and aliexpress that suspend sales of certain products for children about security concerns, saying on Friday that some goods exceeded the local limits for hazardous substances.
Chinese electronic commerce titans such as Shein, Temu and Aliexpress have seen an increase in global popularity in recent years, attracting consumers with a wide range of fashion and fashion accessories and ultra low cost, positioning them as important rivals for the United States Giant Amazon.
Its rapid increase has caused a growing scrutiny about commercial practices and product safety, even in South Korea.
The Government of the City of Seoul said Friday that it recently inspected 35 products for children sold in TEMU and ALIEXPRES, including umbrellas, waterproof and rain boots, and discovered that 11 did not meet the safety standards of South Korea or contained dangerous substances above local limits.
In six of the umbrella, the plasticizers based on phthalate, the Chinese used to make the plastics more flexible, were found at levels that exceed security standards, the city said in a statement.
Some of these products exceeded the domestic security limit up to 443.5 times for the chemist, while it was found that two elements contained lead at levels up to 27.7 times higher than the locally acceptable level.
According to the results of the inspection, the Seoul government said that “it has requested that online platforms suspend sales of non -compliant products.”
He also noted that “prolonged exposure to harmful substances can affect the growth and health of children,” and highlighted the need to carefully review product information before making purchases.
Temu and Aliexpress did not immediately respond to AFP comments requests.
Seoul’s government told AFP that retailers have no legal obligations to comply with their application.
Fethalate -based plasticizers can cause endocrine disorders, while lead exposure above safety limits can affect reproductive functions and increase cancer risk, Seoul authorities said.
Last year, the city government said that the accessories of women sold by Shein, Aliexpress and Temu contained toxic substances sometimes hundreds of times above acceptable levels.
Last year, the European Union added Shein to its list of digital companies that are large enough to have more strict security rules, including measures to protect customers from insecure products, especially those that could be harmful to minors.
