Harmful Substances Found in Claw Machine Plush Toys at Up to 347 Times the Legal Limit

[Anchor]

A significant number of plush toys found in claw machine arcades, popular among both children and adults alike, have been found to contain hazardous substances. Some items contained substances that can hinder children's growth at levels nearly 350 times the legal limit.

Reporter Lee Tae-gwon has the story.

[Reporter]

Colorful plush toys fill transparent claw machines.

Featuring everything from various famous character dolls to key rings, these items are popular among teenagers and adults alike.

[Kim Se-yong / Seo-gu, Incheon: The characters are kind of cute, so I have a desire to collect them, and there is a sort of thrill when you actually win one.]

However, when the Korea Consumer Agency investigated 20 products distributed at unmanned claw machine arcades, harmful chemicals exceeding safety standards were detected in 12 of them—more than half.

[Kook Eun-sook / Head of Living Safety Team, Korea Consumer Agency: Some products were found to contain lead, cadmium, and phthalate plasticizers exceeding the legal limits...]

In particular, phthalate plasticizers, which are used to make plastics flexible and act as endocrine disruptors that can hinder children's reproductive functions and physical growth, were detected in 9 products at levels up to 347.5 times over the legal limit.

Lead and cadmium, classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, also exceeded safety standards by up to 2.7 times and 1.2 times in 8 and 2 products, respectively.

Furthermore, 10 popular items, including the Chinese character "Labubu," differed in shape and color from genuine products and could not be authenticated using serial numbers or QR codes for verification, indicating a high likelihood of being counterfeit.

In addition, 4 out of 16 unmanned arcades surveyed did not have fire extinguishers, while others had broken floor tiles or hazardous items such as utility knives and gardening shears left unattended.

The Consumer Agency plans to share the survey results with local governments and recommend on-site inspections, while also requesting relevant ministries to strengthen safety management and supervision of products and facilities.

(Video Editing: Kim Yun-seong, VJ: Jeong Han-wook, Design: Jang Sung-beom)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.