A recent investigation has uncovered that certain products purchased through direct online shopping, including hair dryers and fans from popular platforms like Temu and AliExpress, fail to meet U.S. radio frequency standards.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Science and ICT released the results of safety inspections conducted on 29 imported electronic devices purchased directly online. The findings revealed that seven of these products failed to meet the required standards.
Currently, the Ministry exempts KC certification (for radio frequency compliance) for products bought directly from overseas, considering they are for personal use. However, as the number of direct international purchases continues to surge, safety concerns are mounting. In response, the Ministry inspected 29 commonly used wireless products that had not been previously verified for radio frequency safety, including wireless microphones, earbuds, keyboards, chargers, and fans.
The investigation found that seven products failed to meet the standards: a broadcasting microphone (Temu), a closed-circuit TV system (AliExpress), a portable fan (AliExpress), a neck fan (Amazon), a hair dryer (Temu), an electric drill (Amazon), and a standing fan (AliExpress).
To safeguard consumers, the Ministry has requested both domestic and international online marketplace operators to halt the sale of these non-compliant products. Information about these items has been made public on the websites of the National Radio Research Agency and Consumer24.
A ministry spokesperson said the government will continue safety investigations and market monitoring to prevent potentially harmful goods from entering the country through direct overseas purchases. The spokesperson added that the ministry is maintaining close cooperation with agencies such as the Fair Trade Commission, the Korea Customs Service, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the Ministry of Environment.