Gov't to expand safety inspections on overseas direct purchase products

SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- The government will more than double safety inspections on products imported from overseas directly by consumers in an effort to keep hazardous products from flowing into the country, officials said Tuesday. The number of safety inspections on such products will jump to more than 2,000 a year by 2028 from 1,000 last year, according to the Office for Government Policy Coordination. The move is one of the key points in a three-year product safety management plan approved Tuesday in a meeting of the product safety policy committee involving 12 government ministries and agencies, it said in a release. "A need for preemptive responses is rising recently amid growing concerns about the inflow of hazardous products with the spread of overseas direct purchases," the office said. "The government will apply artificial intelligence to the entire product safety cycle and shift to a policy centered on prevention so as to build a tight product safety net." The government will also strengthen safety checks on products prone to accidents, including those with built-in batteries, and children's products, while upgrading safety regulations and criteria for new types of products, such as smart home appliances, the office said. AI will also be used to monitor online markets around the clock to keep hazardous products from being circulated, it said. "Product safety is an area that we can never compromise on ... because it is a fundamental value directly related to people's lives," said Kim Dae-ja, head of the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards. "We will create an environment where people can be assured through preemptive management using data and AI." This undated file photo shows overseas direct purchase products at the Incheon Airport Customs express cargo logistics center. (Yonhap) (END)