2019 Pharmaceutical Recalls Increase by 36%... Industrial Products Up 20%

Fair Trade Commission Analyzes Last Year's Recall Performance
Total Recalls Increased by 13.7% to 2,523 Cases
Voluntary Recall Rate by Companies Decreased by 2.9%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] It has been revealed that pharmaceutical recalls surged last year.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission announced on the 10th that, after analyzing the 2019 recall performance of various government ministries, local governments, and the Korea Consumer Agency, the total number of recalls last year reached 2,523 cases, an increase of 303 cases (13.65%) compared to the previous year.

A recall refers to an action taken by manufacturers, importers, or sellers to prevent consumer damage by repairing, exchanging, or refunding products when defects pose or may pose a risk to consumers' lives, bodies, or property.

By category, the number of pharmaceutical recalls (including herbal medicines and quasi-drugs) last year was 469 cases, a 36.3% increase from 344 cases in 2018. Recalls of industrial products also rose by 19.9% to 819 cases compared to the previous year. On the other hand, medical devices (-0.6%) and automobiles (-5.5%) saw a decrease.

Lee Taehwi, head of the Consumer Safety Information Division at the Fair Trade Commission, said, "We expect that raising awareness of the recall system among businesses and consumers and enabling consumers to recognize product defects will help prevent the spread of damage."

However, by recall type, the proportion of voluntary recalls decided by businesses themselves fell by 2.87 percentage points to 40.46% from 43.33% last year.

The Fair Trade Commission plans to increase the number of related institutions and information linked to recalls collected and provided through the Happy Dream Open Consumer Portal to enhance consumer accessibility.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.