By Kim Se-jeong
A watchdog agency for cosmetics will create a new category for children’s products, a move that drew skepticism from consumers online.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Friday, the change, which will go into effect in September, will improve monitoring of cosmetics for children younger than 13. The government said it will make label requirements stricter for manufacturers.
There are no cosmetics products exclusively for children now. Under present guidelines, there are 12 product categories, mostly based on use, such as body cleansing and hair treatment. There is also a category for children younger than three years.
The new move is expected to stimulate Korea’s cosmetics market.
But the government’s decision was largely met with criticism.
Many people said the move will do little to improve children’s health and only worsen people’s obsession with appearance.
“I have grown up healthy without special skincare products. Why do they need it now? It’s a dirty way to manipulate citizens,” a Naver user with the ID heju**** wrote. Naver is a popular web portal. “For children, putting on nothing is the best way,” another with the ID hosu*** wrote. “I think it will only fuel Koreans’ obsession with how they look,” cmc7*** wrote.
Some saw the measure as the government’s special favor for cosmetics companies whose exports to China suffered a setback recently after the Korean and U.S. governments agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system near Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
“As exports to China become more difficult, the government helps companies sell them to the local market. Does the government care for people? To me, this confirms that citizens are ‘dogs and pigs,’” one Naver user with the ID madc**** wrote.
Korea’s cosmetics industry is one of the world’s biggest. This reflects people’s interest in makeup, skin treatment and cosmetic surgery. Recently, it was alleged that even President Park Geun-hye was a frequent cosmetic surgery patient.