Top office apologizes for waffling on safety certification for foreign products

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Top office apologizes for waffling on safety certification for foreign products

Published: 20 May. 2024, 19:31 Updated: 20 May. 2024, 19:58

Presidential policy chief Sung Tae-yoon apologizes for causing confusion over the KC mark mandate on goods directly purchased from overseas at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul. [NEWS1]

The presidential office apologized on Monday for causing confusion over the government’s measure mandating the Korea Certification (KC) mark for certain goods purchased directly from overseas that was quickly revoked after huge public backlash.

"We apologize for not fully considering consumers’ choices and causing inconvenience to the people, who are struggling to purchase affordable products, even if the measure to only allow direct overseas purchases with the KC mark is for the sake of public safety, " said presidential policy chief Sung Tae-yoon at the presidential office building in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Monday.

The government announced on Thursday that 80 types of products, such as merchandise for children and electronic devices, purchased from foreign e-commerce providers like Amazon, AliExpress and Temu must obtain the certification.

However, only four days after the announcement, the government retracted the measure after an inundation of backlash from the public over concerns that it excessively limits consumer choices.

"It is not true that the government will preemptively ban or block 80 designated products in advance," said Lee Jeong-won, the second vice minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the prime minister, during a press conference held in central Seoul on Sunday.

“Mandating the KC mark is not the only solution, and thus, we will carefully review measures after gathering an array of ideas and feedback on the matter,” said Kim Sang-mo, the director general at the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

When the government initially announced the measure on May 16, it aimed to enact legislation prohibiting the direct purchase of certain products from overseas without the KC mark.

But the government changed its stance on the KC requirement, and is slated to discuss whether to abolish the regulation or push for a ban on some items again depending on the outcome of its monitoring process starting next month.

Posts about the government’s ban on overseas direct purchased goods on a mom cafe on Naver [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Mounting mom cafe criticism

The changed stance on the certification owes to consumer backlash and controversy over the measure's effectiveness, with critics pointing out that it infringes on consumer choices.

Mothers, in particular, lambasted the government's rash decision in online communities known as "mom cafes," where millions of mothers exchange opinions on childcare, education, and local and national politics.

Numerous posts were uploaded over the weekend questioning the effectiveness of the measures, asking, "What's so dangerous about clothes?" and, "How could the government decide to ban foreign goods entering the Korean market so arbitrarily?”

Tech enthusiasts and so-called kidults, who enjoy collecting items like airsoft guns, expressed strong dissatisfaction over the measures, saying, "We now have to buy parts that can be bought cheaply on overseas platforms from the Korean market, where they are several times more expensive.”

The measures have also faced increasing criticism in political circles. Han Dong-hoon, the former interim chief of President Yoon's People Power Party, said on his social media that the mandatory KC mark for goods purchased by individuals only limits consumers’ choices, so it should be reconsidered. He also added that “it would be excessive regulation."

Reverse discrimination against Korean companies

Despite the fierce reaction, however, the measure was pursued for a reason. As cheap Chinese products are easily accessible from overseas online market platforms, purchases not only hurt Korean retailers but also small and mediums-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Controversy over reverse discrimination against domestic retailers also hit hard. Under the current law, Korean companies must obtain KC certification to import and sell Chinese products. Industry sources pointed out that the certification costs tens to millions of won to obtain for each item, so it is impossible to compete with products that do not require the mark.

With the decision to revoke the mandate, however, the government is set to face a new round of pushback.

Initially, the government attributed its attempt at the regulation to a serious violation of public safety, but failed to come up with any practical and tangible measures except for strengthening its monitoring of hazardous substances.

While the plan would block direct purchases once hazardous substances are detected, such a measure is already enacted. Additionally, any response to such substances can be made only after the product has been purchased.

Losing trust

It is now difficult for the government to avoid criticism that it has undermined the credibility of its own policy by releasing measures without meticulous consideration.

Industry sources have raised questions about the decision to take action after the screening process detects hazardous substances. "It sounds as if the government will conduct inspections on all 80 items, but the results may vary depending on the production date or model even for the same item," said an industry source.

Another e-commerce company executive said, "Hundreds of thousands of direct purchases from overseas occur every day, and the government will not be able to inspect all direct purchased products one by one," adding, "It also won’t be easy to punish the Chinese manufacturer.”

"Concerns are escalating that foreign companies will be able to avoid the regulation, which would only result in a contraction in the domestic market," said Kim Yoon-tae, the executive vice chairman of the Korean On-Line Shopping Association.

Meanwhile, other domestic e-commerce competitors are welcoming the retraction, as they can consolidate their foothold as online retailers that offer only safety-guaranteed products.

While it is crucial for consumers to have safe products, they will gradually revert to their inclinations, e-commerce insiders said, meaning that consumers with a keen focus on safety will use domestic platforms rather than foreign ones, and the Korean retailers can therefore differentiate themselves from their global peers and gain a competitive edge.

JEONG JIN-HO, CHOI EUN-KYUNG, CHOI HAE-JIN [choi.haejin@joongang.co.kr]