60% of claw machine prizes found to have toxic chemicals
Korea Consumer Agency tests found hazardous chemicals far above safety limits in 60 percent of prizes at unmanned claw machine arcades.
Students look at claw machines in a store in Yangcheon District, eastern Seoul, on April 11, 2017.
KIM KYOUNG-ROK
Six in 10 toys and keychains offered as prizes at unmanned claw machine arcades in Korea contained hazardous chemicals, with one substance that could hinder children's physical growth detected at more than 300 times the legal limit, a consumer watchdog said on Thursday.
The Korea Consumer Agency tested 20 products sold at 16 claw machine arcades between April and July. Twelve products, or 60 percent, contained phthalates, lead or cadmium at levels well above the legal safety limit for children’s products. Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics softer and more flexible.
Nine products were found to contain excessive levels of phthalates, with concentrations in some samples reaching up to 347.5 times the permitted safety limit.
Lead exceeded the limit in eight products, with levels reaching up to 2.7 times the safety standard, while cadmium exceeded the limit in two products, with levels reaching up to 1.2 times the standard.
Exposure to phthalates can disrupt the endocrine system and may interfere with children's reproductive development and physical growth. Lead and cadmium are classified as human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Questions also arose over where the prizes came from.
Half of the 20 products tested carried no manufacturer's information. The other 10 were stuffed plushies based on well-known characters and carried the names of the brands' manufacturers.
But the Korea Consumer Agency found clear differences in their appearance and colors compared to genuine products and said they were likely counterfeits.
Eight of the 10 suspected counterfeit products contained hazardous chemicals above safety limits.
Unmanned claw machine arcades are open to customers of all ages and are particularly popular with children, but none of the 20 products tested carried a safety certification mark or indicated the appropriate age for use.
Safety problems extended beyond the prizes themselves.
All 16 businesses inspected had floor areas of at least 33 square meters (355 square feet), but four, or 25 percent, did not have fire extinguishers.
Two businesses had broken floor tiles, while another left a knife and gardening shears within easy reach of customers.
Several locations also failed to display required notices and documents. Two did not post notices on restrictions for minors, three lacked safety instructions for customers and 11 did not display their registration certificates for businesses providing games to minors.
The Korea Consumer Agency said it will share its findings and recommendations with the relevant local governments and ask them to conduct on-site inspections. It also plans to ask government ministries to strengthen safety oversight of products and facilities at unmanned claw machine arcades.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
