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Korea recalls six nail glues, orders refunds after detecting banned chemicals

Published: 13 Jun. 2025, 13:08

A visitor tries out nail products at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on April 25. [YONHAP]

The Korea Consumer Agency has ordered the suspension of sales and issuing of refunds for certain nail glues after discovering that they contained hazardous substances banned under Korean safety standards, the agency said Friday.

The agency tested 17 nail glues — including both domestic products and those purchased directly from overseas — and found that three imported products contained dichloromethane (DCM) and methyl methacrylate (MMA), which are both prohibited in Korea.

Four domestically manufactured products were also found to contain MMA. These include Nryan Brush-On Gel Glue and BBNail Glue (both manufactured by Wonjin Polymer), Donawa Nail Glue (by Dasung T&T) and Pudding Glue Gel Type (by Palan Nail).

These nail glues are used for applying artificial nail extensions or nail art. All the aforementioned products claimed on their respective websites that they were compliant with safety standards for hazardous substances.

DCM and MMA are banned under the Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety Control Act. DCM can cause severe irritation to the skin and eyes while MMA may lead to mild skin irritation.

The agency said it requested the immediate removal of the three noncompliant overseas products from online platforms accessible to Korean consumers.

Among the four domestic products, Pudding Glue Gel Type had already been recalled by the Ministry of Environment. The agency notified the remaining three products' manufacturers of the violations and instructed them to halt sales, discard existing inventory and provide refunds.

The Korea Consumer Agency shared its findings with the Environment Ministry, which said it plans to strengthen its monitoring and oversight of all nail glue products sold in the domestic market, including those imported through overseas platforms.

Additional details are available on the websites of Consumer24, the Korea Consumer Agency and the Consumer Injury Surveillance System.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]