Troublesome 'Abema Mask' Unexpectedly Popular, Shipping Costs Alone Reach 10.5 Billion Won

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. /Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The so-called 'Abe Mask,' introduced during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三) but later turned into a white elephant, is now causing controversy over shipping costs. Although the masks were to be distributed free of charge to those who wanted them, the shipping costs alone are reported to reach 1 billion yen (approximately 10.5 billion KRW).

According to the Tokyo Shimbun on the 3rd, the total shipping cost for the Abe Masks amounts to 1 billion yen. The Japanese government currently stores 80 million Abe Masks, and if all are incinerated, it is estimated to cost 60 million yen (approximately 631.8 million KRW), leading to criticism that incineration might be the better option.

Matsuno Hirokazu, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, stated at a press conference the day before, "The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is currently compiling the number of applications, and after completing the survey within a month, we plan to announce the distribution method. Therefore, it is difficult to calculate the shipping costs at this point."

Earlier, in March 2020, when COVID-19 first spread, former Prime Minister Abe decided to produce and distribute 260 million gauze masks amid a mask shortage.

However, the masks were narrowly designed to barely cover an adult’s nose and mouth, and many defective products were produced, leading to public rejection. As a result, storage costs alone reached 600 million yen (approximately 6.3 billion KRW) last year, drawing criticism for wasting taxpayers' money. The government decided to distribute the masks free of charge to those who wished before disposal, and an overwhelming 280 million masks worth of applications were received.

Economic journalist Ogiwara Hiroko criticized, "The mouth cannot be closed. The cost of mismanagement is being shifted onto the public. With pensions decreasing, social insurance burdens increasing, and prices rising, it would not be surprising if uprisings occurred as in the past."

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