Seoul asks Temu AliExpress to pull children s products over safety concerns

SEOUL - The Seoul city government has asked online retail giants Temu and AliExpress to suspend sales of certain children’s products over safety concerns, saying on June 27 that some goods far exceeded local limits for hazardous substances.

Chinese e-commerce titans such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress have seen a surge in global popularity in recent years, drawing in consumers with a wide range of trendy, ultra-low-cost fashion and accessories – positioning them as major rivals to US giant Amazon.

Their rapid rise has triggered growing scrutiny over business practices and product safety, including in South Korea.

The Seoul city government said on June 27 that it recently inspected 35 children’s products sold on Temu and AliExpress – including umbrellas, raincoats and rain boots – and found that 11 failed to meet South Korea’s safety standards or contained hazardous substances above local limits.

In six of the umbrellas, phthalate-based plasticisers – chemicals used to make plastics more flexible – were found at levels far exceeding safety standards, the city said in a statement.

Some of those products exceeded the domestic safety limit by up to 443.5 times for the chemical, while two items were found to contain lead at levels up to 27.7 times higher than the locally acceptable level.

Based on the inspection results, the Seoul government said it “has requested that online platforms suspend sales of the non-compliant products”.

It also noted that “prolonged exposure to harmful substances can affect children’s growth and health”, and highlighted the need to carefully review product information before making purchases.

The Seoul government told AFP the retailers have no legal obligations to comply with their request.

But Temu said it “immediately initiated an internal review” after receiving notice from the city government, and that it was “in the process of removing the