As of 2022, Shein has grown to become the world's largest fashion retailer. (Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
- The Seoul government in South Korea has found toxic substances in children's products from online shopping giant Shein.
- These chemicals are known to cause hormonal disruptions and are linked to obesity, heart disease, some cancers and infertility.
- Authorities in Seoul are conducting weekly inspections of products sold on platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
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The South Korean capital, Seoul, announced on Tuesday that children's products sold by China-based online shopping giant SHEIN contained toxic substances at levels hundreds of times higher than the permitted limits.
Headquartered in Singapore, Shein has seen a surge in popularity around the world in recent years thanks to its wide range of trendy clothes and accessories at incredibly low prices.
This explosive growth has led to increased scrutiny of the company's business practices and safety standards in countries including the European Union and South Korea, where authorities in Seoul are conducting weekly inspections of goods sold on platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
The latest study looked at eight products sold by Shein, including children's shoes, leather bags and belts, and found that several of them contained high levels of phthalates, chemicals used to soften plastic.
One pair of shoes contained 428 times the permitted level of phthalates, the highest level ever recorded in testing in Seoul, and three bags contained 153 times the permitted level, city officials said.
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Phthalates are widely used to soften plastics and can be found in thousands of products, including packaging, beauty products and toys. But it's been known for decades that phthalates cause hormone disruptions and are linked to obesity, heart disease, some cancers and infertility.
Park Sang-jin, a Seoul city official, told AFP they had asked platforms to stop selling the products and that most had complied since the city began inspections in April.
AFP has contacted Shane for comment.
Seoul authorities said they have tested 93 products so far and found nearly half to contain toxic substances, including children's watches and colored pencils.
The European Union last month added Shein to a list of digital companies of any size that will be subject to tougher safety rules, including measures to protect customers from dangerous products that may harm minors in particular.
Shein and Temu have been following in the footsteps of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, particularly in challenging Amazon by expanding into the U.S. market.
