Group Lawsuit by Victims of 'Environmental Hormone Baby Bathtub'... 612 Times the Standard Level of Environmental Hormones Detected

Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Bathtub Manufacturer and Distributor on the 5th of This Month

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Victims who used baby bathtubs containing environmental hormones exceeding 600 times the standard level have filed a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturer and distributors.

On the 9th, a total of 3,000 people, including 1,000 infant victims of the 'Daiso Baby Bathtub' and their joint guardians, filed a complaint with the Dongjak Police Station in Seoul against the bathtub manufacturer Daehyun Chemical Industry and the intermediary distributor Gihyeon Industry for violating the Special Act on Safety of Children's Products.

Along with this, they reported the two companies to the Fair Trade Commission and also submitted a collective dispute mediation application to the Korea Consumer Agency by mail.

Lee Seung-ik, a lawyer from the law firm Daeryuk Aju representing the plaintiffs, stated, "This case revealed loopholes in the Korea Certification (KC) mark system," adding, "Since there is no way to verify if raw materials or components are changed midway, post-management must be strengthened."

In December of last year, the National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that the baby bathtub 'Cosma' manufactured by Daehyun Chemical Industry contained phthalate-based plasticizers, an environmental hormone, exceeding the safety standard by 612.5 times.

Phthalate-based plasticizers are harmful chemicals that can cause liver damage and reduced reproductive function.

The product was sold at Daiso under the product name 'Water-draining Baby Bathtub' for 5,000 won and gained great popularity, being called the 'National Baby Bathtub' on mom cafes and other communities.

Meanwhile, the Dongjak Police Station in Seoul, which had already been conducting related investigations since receiving a personal complaint from lawyer Lee Seung-ik in December last year, conducted a search and seizure of Daehyun Chemical Industry and Gihyeon Industry on the 5th of this month.

The police are investigating how products that did not meet safety standards came to bear the KC certification mark through analysis of the seized items.

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