KC 인증, 유해물질 기준치 이상 검출 등 안전인증 없이 국내 반입되고 있던 해외직구 제품에 대해 정부가 제동을 걸면서 앞으로는 국내 판매와 유입이 어려울 것으로 전망된다.

▲Domestic overseas direct purchase transaction amount (unit: 100 billion won) / (Data: Ministry of Science and ICT)
Prohibition on overseas direct purchase of non-KC certified products
Prospects for eliminating discrimination against domestic manufacturing companies
As the government has put the brakes on overseas direct purchase products that were being imported into the country without safety certification, such as KC certification or detection of hazardous substances above the standard level, it is expected that domestic sales and imports will be difficult in the future.
On the 16th, the government announced a ban on overseas direct purchase of approximately 80 products, including 34 types of electrical and household goods, children's products, and household chemical products, in order to block overseas direct purchase products that harm the safety of the people.
As the global online distribution market has grown rapidly before and after COVID-19, overseas direct purchases have also increased significantly. Chinese distributors such as Ali and Temu have risen to 2nd and 3rd place respectively in terms of the number of monthly platform users, and overseas direct purchase transactions have recorded an explosive increase to 6.8 trillion won as of 2023.
Until now, products purchased through overseas direct purchase have been products that do not have safety devices and have not received KC certification, unlike products that have gone through official import procedures, and there have been issues with fairness between domestic products and officially imported products.
Accordingly, the government announced that it would prohibit overseas direct purchase of KC certified and hazardous products due to concerns about detection of hazardous substances exceeding the standard level in uncertified products and fire and electric shock. It has been reported that the relevant ministries will implement this measure by the second half of the year. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are in charge of the ban on direct purchase of electrical and household goods.
In particular, 34 items in the electrical and household appliances sector are banned, and if products with a high risk of accidents, such as electric water heating mats, electric steamers, and electric chargers, are not KC certified, overseas direct purchase is prohibited.
In addition, electrical and household appliances that are prohibited include: △Wires, cables, and cords △Switches △Electromagnetic switches △Capacitors and power filters △Electrical equipment accessories and connecting parts △Fuses △Circuit breakers △AC powered electric steamers and foot warmers △Electric chargers △Single cells △Lamp holders △General lighting equipment △Ballasters and lamp control devices △Lithium secondary batteries △Control elements for electrical equipment △Compressors △Electric heated mats △Waste heat recovery ventilators △Water freeze preventers △Electric water purifiers △Electric exercise equipment △Bubbling devices △Towel rolling devices and packaging devices △Fluid pumps △Electric bathtubs △Power supply devices for computers △Batteries △Power conversion devices △Lithium secondary battery systems △Reusable battery modules △Reusable battery systems △Retread tires for automobiles △Gas lighters △34 items were listed as BB guns.
In addition, imports of unlicensed medical devices through overseas direct purchase will be completely banned. The government has indicated that it will respond by strengthening customs clearance collaboration inspections and inducing overseas platforms to voluntarily block products as cases of illegal direct purchase detection of electronic blood pressure monitors, hearing aids, and non-contact thermometers are increasing.
The government is said to be improving the entire system by establishing measures to strengthen prevention and relief of consumer damage and to enhance the competitiveness of domestic companies, such as ▲upgrading the distribution platform, ▲creating opportunities for small and medium-sized distributors, and ▲expanding reverse purchasing for small and medium-sized distribution and manufacturing companies.
On the other hand, there are voices of opposition from consumers, especially online, saying that only domestic intermediaries are benefiting. Some consumers complained that it would be difficult to obtain products with low demand that are not distributed domestically.
Meanwhile, there are also observations that the import ban on these non-KC certified products could be beneficial to Temu and Ali. Many of the Chinese products that Temu and Ali handle and distribute have already received KC certification through domestic distributors, and they are actively promoting KC certification at the platform level. Accordingly, it is expected that this measure will have a greater impact on overseas direct purchases by Amazon, an American company.