Hugged Right After Winning... Some Prizes Contain Hazardous Substances Up to 347 Times the Limit, Harming Reproductive Function and Growth

Possibility of "Counterfeits" Among Popular Character Dolls
Inadequate Store Management... Absence of Fire Extinguishers at Some Locations

Hazardous chemicals at levels significantly exceeding regulatory standards have been detected in a substantial number of claw machine prizes, such as plush dolls and keyrings, distributed at unmanned claw machine stores.

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On September 10, the Korea Consumer Agency announced the results of a safety investigation conducted from April to July on 20 types of prizes distributed at domestic unmanned claw machine stores and 16 operators. Of the 20 prize types examined, 12 types (60%) were found to contain phthalate plasticizers, lead, or cadmium exceeding the common safety standards for children’s products.

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In particular, phthalate plasticizers, which can disrupt the endocrine system, were detected at up to 347.5 times the permissible level in 9 product types. Lead levels exceeded the standard by up to 2.7 times in 8 product types, and cadmium was detected at up to 1.23 times the standard in 2 types.

Phthalate plasticizers are chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and can hinder children’s reproductive functions and physical growth. Lead and cadmium are substances classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans.

A significant number of products also lacked proper manufacturer information. Among the 20 products surveyed, 10 had no indication of the manufacturer. The other 10, which were recognizable character dolls labeled with their respective brand manufacturers, showed clear differences in appearance and color compared to genuine products, according to the Korea Consumer Agency. This suggests a high likelihood that they are counterfeit items. Of the 10 suspected counterfeit products, 8 exceeded hazardous chemical substance limits.

Products Exceeding Hazardous Chemical Substance Standards (12 types). Korea Consumer Agency

Store facility management was also inadequate. All 16 operators surveyed had premises larger than 33 square meters, but 4 stores (25%) did not have fire extinguishers. In addition, 2 stores (12.5%) had broken floor tiles, and 1 store left knives and gardening shears within easy reach of customers. There were also many instances where youth access restriction notices (missing at 2 stores), user safety guidelines (missing at 3 stores), and certificates of youth game provider registration (missing at 11 stores) were not displayed.

The Korea Consumer Agency plans to share the findings and recommendations with relevant local governments and recommend on-site inspections. It also intends to request that responsible ministries strengthen their management and oversight of the safety of products and facilities at unmanned claw machine stores.

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