The Korea Importers Association (KOMIA) said on the 26th that, in collaboration with AliExpress, it has completed safety tests over the past year on 878 items purchased directly from overseas.
Since September last year, the association has commissioned major domestic testing and inspection agencies—Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR), Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL), Korea Apparel Testing & Research Institute (KATRI), FITI Testing & Research Institute (FITI), and Korea Textile Inspection & Testing Institute (KOTITI)—to test products entering the country via the overseas direct-purchase method through AliExpress.
AliExpress Korea halted sales of products that failed to meet the testing standards and strengthened monitoring to prevent sellers from relisting the same items.
The association said food containers; camping, hiking, and sports gear; and clothing and household goods recorded relatively high compliance rates in safety assessments, while cosmetics, baby products, and water-play items were found to require quality improvements.
An association official said, "We plan to continue safety tests on major seasonal demand items such as Halloween products, winter household goods, and Christmas items," adding, "We will take the lead in improving trust in the overseas direct-purchase environment and protecting consumers through close cooperation with AliExpress Korea."