The customer watchdog, which compiled and analyzed recall data from various government agencies for last year, found that the total number of recalls reached 2,656, up 119 cases or 4.7 percent from a year earlier.
It was the first increase since 2022, when the number of recalls stood at 3,586 before shrinking to 2,813 in 2023 and 2,537 in 2024.
KFTC attributed the increase to stepped-up efforts to block hazardous products sold through overseas websites, as well as stricter safety guidelines for food and other products.
Recalls of industrial products rose 8.6 percent to 1,282 and those of medical devices increased 8.5 percent to 308, while automobile recalls fell 24.8 percent to 300 and pharmaceutical recalls declined 13.5 percent to 295.
As purchases through overseas websites expand and more hazardous foreign products flow into the domestic market, the government has strengthened monitoring through cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies.
"We will continue to work closely with relevant agencies to thoroughly block hazardous products from being distributed in South Korea," a KFTC official said, adding that recall-related information is being shared on the state-run Consumer24 website so consumers can easily check whether they are affected.
AJP Takeaways:
- South Korea recorded 2,656 product recalls in 2025, up 119 cases, or 4.7 percent, from 2,537 in 2024, marking the first annual increase in recalls since 2022, according to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).
- Recalls had declined for two consecutive years before 2025, falling from 3,586 in 2022 to 2,813 in 2023 and 2,537 in 2024.
- Industrial product and medical device recalls increased in 2025, rising 8.6 percent to 1,282 and 8.5 percent to 308, respectively, while automobile recalls fell 24.8 percent to 300 and pharmaceutical recalls declined 13.5 percent to 295.
- The Korea Fair Trade Commission attributed the increase to stronger efforts to block hazardous products sold through overseas websites and tighter safety guidelines for food and other products, amid growing overseas online purchases and increased imports of potentially hazardous foreign products.
- The South Korean government is strengthening interagency monitoring of hazardous products, while recall-related information is being shared on the state-run Consumer24 website to help consumers check whether products they have purchased are subject to domestic or overseas recalls.
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