Police Refer Baby Bathtub Company for Detecting Environmental Hormones 612 Times Above Standard Level

Allegations of Violating the Special Act on Safety of Children's Products

Photo by Moon Honam, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency archive photo / Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The police have sent the manufacturer and distributor of baby bathtubs containing environmental hormones to the prosecution.

The Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 21st that on the 14th, they sent Daehyun Chemical Industry, a baby bathtub manufacturer, Gihyeon Industry, a distributor, and the representatives of each company to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on charges of fraud and violation of the Special Act on Safety of Children's Products.

According to Lee Seung-ik, the victim's legal representative (Daeryuk Aju Law Firm), the companies used raw materials containing harmful substances without confirming compliance with safety standards, and manufactured and sold the baby bathtubs with the Korea Certification (KC) mark as if the products met safety standards.

In December 2020, the National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy ordered a product recall after detecting phthalate-based plasticizers in the bathtub drain plug at levels exceeding the standard by 612.5 times. This substance is a harmful chemical to the human body and is globally restricted in use.

The bathtub products containing harmful substances were sold at Daiso and were very popular, known as the "National Baby Bathtub." In February last year, victims filed a complaint with the Dongjak Police Station in Seoul, stating that babies who used the bathtubs showed abnormal symptoms.

Meanwhile, the police decided not to prosecute the retailer Daiso. The victims reported Daiso to the Fair Trade Commission for violating the Act on Labeling and Advertising, claiming that Daiso obstructed consumers' reasonable purchasing choices. In response, the Fair Trade Commission conducted on-site investigations at Daiso's headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in April last year and February this year.

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