Consumer Agency Issues Safety Alert Amid Surge in Electric Scooter Fire Incidents

Scheduled Distribution of Fire Accident Prevention Promotional Comics

The Korea Consumer Agency and the National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 24th that they have issued a consumer safety advisory due to the frequent occurrence of electric scooter fire accidents.

An electric scooter with a safety helmet is parked in front of a subway station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Consumer Agency, there were 115 electric scooter fire accidents last year, with most of the incidents attributed to lithium batteries built into the electric scooters. Additionally, the Consumer Agency confirmed that fire accidents occurred in products from multiple manufacturers. The agency plans to distribute a promotional comic for fire accident prevention at the regular meeting in August.

The National Institute of Technology and Standards explained that after conducting a product accident investigation on five electric scooter models from four manufacturers that experienced multiple fire accidents last year, illegal activities such as unauthorized part changes different from those at the time of KC certification were confirmed. The institute has requested an investigation of illegal products from the Korea Product Safety Management Institute and is currently conducting safety inspections on electric scooters sold in the market.

Representatives from the Consumer Agency and the National Institute of Technology and Standards urged, "Lithium batteries can cause fires or explosions due to overcharging, so the charger must be unplugged once fully charged," and advised, "Do not charge electric scooters near exits to ensure safe evacuation in case of fire."

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