"I Could Have Died": Counterfeit Batteries Pose Explosion Risks with No One to Hold Accountable

[Anchor]

Many people use power tools like electric drills in their homes. However, counterfeit batteries for these tools are being circulated in the market. The real problem is the risk of explosion, yet there is no one to take responsibility if an accident occurs.

Reporter Cho Min-ki has the story.

[Reporter]

The surface of a power tool battery has melted from high heat, and parts of it are completely charred, leaving behind white ash.

These are counterfeit batteries sold by companies that registered their businesses in Korea but appear to be represented by Chinese nationals.

[Kim Hak-soo / Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do: (Once) I left it in the back of my car, and when I came back after eating, the battery was on fire. It is quite concerning. An acquaintance of mine also said, "Wow, I almost died."]

Counterfeit batteries that look identical to those from famous U.S. and other global brands are being widely distributed on online platforms at prices lower than the genuine products.

One of these two batteries is genuine, and the other is a fake.

Let us compare the differences.

First, the counterfeit product lacks the government-certified KC mark.

The internal battery cells are also loosely connected, unlike the genuine product.

[Lee Sang-young / Professor of Battery Science and Engineering, Yonsei University: It could explode while charging. The same applies if it is dropped; it can be considered extremely dangerous.]

There is another problem.

Because there is no way to contact the companies, it is difficult to receive compensation if an accident, such as a fire, occurs.

When our reporting team visited the address listed on the business registration, there was no sign and no staff.

[It is a virtual office that only rents out the address.]

None of the listed phone numbers were in service.

[The number you have dialed is temporarily disconnected.]

Battery fires are constant, with an electric scooter battery explosion killing two people in August of last year, and a car being completely destroyed by a fire from a charging power tool battery earlier this month.

Despite these growing concerns, the response from online platforms where these counterfeit batteries are sold remains passive.

[Online Platform Representative: We do not handle issues caused by the products themselves, customer.]

[Kim Hak-soo / Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do: Even if you prove it is a fake and ask them to take the listing down, they do not just take it down.]

Once SBS began its investigation, the online platforms started identifying and removing the counterfeit sellers, and the Korea Product Safety Management Institute stated, "We will actively respond to related complaints and consider conducting our own investigation."

Reported by Kim Hyun-sang and Kim Nam-sung | Video by Park Na-young | Graphics by Han Song-yeon | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.