Gov't to tighten certification rules on foreign e-commerce purchases
이 글자크기로 변경됩니다.
(예시) 가장 빠른 뉴스가 있고 다양한 정보, 쌍방향 소통이 숨쉬는 다음뉴스를 만나보세요. 다음뉴스는 국내외 주요이슈와 실시간 속보, 문화생활 및 다양한 분야의 뉴스를 입체적으로 전달하고 있습니다.
The Korean government will impose stricter certification requirements on certain goods directly purchased overseas to safeguard domestic consumers and retailers.
Child merchandise and electronic devices, such as water-heated mattresses, must obtain the Korea Certification (KC) mark if the products are purchased from foreign e-commerce providers like Amazon, AliExpress and Temu. The KC is a compulsory safety mark in Korea, which applies to a range of imported products sold in the Korean market.
The move comes as Chinese e-commerce operators have rapidly increased their presence in Korea’s e-commerce market, raising concerns about the lack of safety regulations to oversee products imported from overseas and stalled growth for local platforms.
The Office for Government Policy Coordination and related agencies announced Thursday that items closely linked to consumers' health and safety, such as electrical and household appliances and children's products, will be required to obtain the KC mark. Without this certification, these items will be prohibited from entering the Korean market.
The items also include strollers, frames for children’s glasses and sunglasses, electric chargers and lithium secondary batteries.
The government is also reviewing whether to overhaul the tax exemption system to eliminate discrimination against domestic operators.
Currently, Korean consumers receive duty-free benefits if the price of an item purchased directly from overseas is either equal to, or below, $150.
Korean retailers have voiced their concerns, saying the current system produces discrimination against domestic e-commerce players, as the price of parallel items purchased from Chinese websites is at least 20 to 30 percent cheaper.
The government will also strengthen the crackdown on foreign websites to prevent cases of exploiting the tax exemption system’s loopholes.
Koreans' spending on overseas direct purchases jumped 27 percent to 6.8 trillion won ($4.9 billion) in 2023 from the previous year, powered by a significant increase in the use of Chinese websites, according to the prime minister’s office.
Coupang ranked first in the domestic e-commerce market for the number of app users, followed by 11st and Gmarket as of February 2023. But the rankings have swiftly changed, with AliExpress and Temu securing second and third places, respectively, in March 2024.
By the end of this year, the government will strengthen monitoring of hazardous products being distributed and sold on websites and push e-commerce operators to set up domestic agents to address consumer complaints.
BY CHOI HAE-JIN [choi.haejin@joongang.co.kr]
Copyright © 코리아중앙데일리. 무단전재 및 재배포 금지.
- Teacher abuse on the rise amid weak protections
- Estranged wife of SK chairman claims husband spent over 100 billion won on live-in partner
- Seatless subway cars to be rolled out on Seoul's line No. 7 from Thursday
- Tottenham face challenge for Europa League as Chelsea beat Brighton
- Korean musical 'Il Tenore' extends run after rave reviews
- HYBE to seek probe over alleged insider trading by ADOR executive
- City gets sprinkle of rain before Seoul International Garden Show kicks off
- Rich get richer: Generational wealth gap widens as baby boomers sit on assets
- HYBE chairman 'repeatedly ignored NewJeans members,' according to parents
- Cultural Heritage Administration celebrates name change with free entry to historical sites