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No.473 2004.12.02 Consumers Union of Korea et al.
Strict Warning issued on Seoul Milk’s Selk for False Labeling as Functional Food, and other reports.


 
  No. 473, Dec. 2, 2004  /  Contact person: Lee Su-jeong  
 

Consumers Union of Korea

     – Strict Warning issued on Seoul Milk’s Selk for False Labeling as Functional Food

 

Seoul YMCA Citizens Newsroom

     – Bug-plagued Portable Phones, 500 Consumer Complaints Filed in 2 Weeks’ Time

        Poor Warranty Services, Shifting Repair Costs to Consumers; Might Press for

        Product Recalls

 

Green Consumers Network in Korea

     – to Host a Forum Entitled ‘Improving Medical Institution Evaluation System and

        Broadening Participation by General Public’

 

 
 

Consumers Union of Korea


Strict Warning Issued on Seoul Milk’s Selk for False Labeling as Functional Food
 

On November 10, the Fair Trade Commission issued warning to Seoul Milk on the case of Selk, a milk containing natural selenium distributed by the dairy company, reported to the Commission for violation of the Labeling and Advertising Act.  The advertising of the product apparently contained a misleading statement, claiming that Selk was a ‘functional milk,’ (“Korea’s first functional milk containing natural selenium which has known health benefits including antioxidant and anti-aging properties, strengthening the body’s immune system and cancer-fighting properties”).

 

 The Fair Trade Commission deemed the above-quoted statement by Seoul Milk concerning Selk to mislead consumers and to be in violation of legal guidelines for labeling and advertising on the basis of the following:

 1. A food product may be labeled or advertised as functional food only if it was approved as such by the Korea Food and Drug Administration upon the completion of a review according to due procedures and pursuant to pertinent laws and regulations.  Seoul Milk, however, used the term “functional” without obtaining required approval.

 2. In addition to the use of the term “functional” in the label, Seoul Milk stated in the company website that Selk had the properties to improve immune function and the anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits; a claim which is liable to lead consumers to believe the milk can prevent or fight cancer.

 

Meanwhile, Seoul Milk, upon receiving a notification from the Consumers Union of Korea on the advertising rule violation, had immediately removed the statement in question from its website.  This warning by FTC was issued after the company’s removal of the content constituting the offense.

▶ Inquiries: Lee Hyang-gi, Vice President, Consumers Union of Korea (794-7081)

 
  Seoul YMCA Citizens Newsroom

Bug-plagued Portable Phones, 500 Consumer Complaints Filed in 2 Weeks’ Time

Poor After-sale Service, Repair Costs Shifted to Consumers, Might Press for Product Recalls

 

On the 12th of this month, Seoul YMCA opened its ‘Consumer Complaint Center for Bug-plagued, High-price, Multi-function Cell Phones.’  Two weeks after its opening, the Center has already received some 500 complaints.  The most-reported category of cell phone failures was ‘power outage during use,’ and this deficiency was found on all cell phone models released during this year.  Each of the cell phones reported by consumers had several dozens of different types of glitches and deficiencies.  To make matters worse, using the customer service departments of the manufacturers of these cell phones proved to be excruciatingly complicated.  Based on the consumer complaints it received, Seoul YMCA will compile a list of models most severely plagued with defects, and might follow up the case by demanding product recalls.  Below are some examples of the flimsiest and most glitch-ridden cell phones brought to the attention of the complaint center (for details, refer to the attached documentation).

 

Sky: Costing 280,000 won in repair within 6 months after purchase

Anycall: This phone, revealing some 10 different glitches and problems within one month after purchase, tops the list of junk cell phones

Scion: All its models released this year invariably proved to be faulty

Pantech & Curitel: The battery power does not last more than a couple of hours.  Using the warranty service for these phones loaded with crude components is an ordeal no one deserves to go through.

 

In the face of little to no response by cell phone manufacturers in spite of growing consumer complaints, Seoul YMCA Citizens Newsroom is planning to take an aggressive stance to force them into action.

It is currently examining the option of pressing for product recalls on some of the worst cases, as quoted above.

For all defective cell phones reported to it by consumers, including those deemed warranting recalls, it will demand manufacturers for immediate and concrete corrective actions, including supplying patches and upgrades so as to alleviate inconvenience caused.

It will be following up on the status of compliance by manufacturers with its requests by jointly exercising pressure with the Mobile Customers Union.

▶ Inquiries: Kim Hui-gyeong, Seoul YMCA Citizens Newsroom, (725-1400)

 
  Green Consumers Network in Korea

A Forum Entitled ‘Improving Medical Institution Evaluation System and Broadening Participation by General Public’ to be Hosted

 

A governmental program for evaluating medical institutions was launched this year.  The program is intended as a tool both to keep oversight on medical institutions to ensure quality of public health services, and to provide guidance to these healthcare institutions.  The forum will be a platform for discussion on ways to enhance the efficiency of the evaluation program recently put into place, and to broaden the public participation in the evaluation mechanism for successful implementation of the program as a progressive tool effectively serving the public interest.  Below are the date, location and program of the forum:

 

◦Date: Thursday, Dec. 9, 2004 1:00PM to 3:00PM

◦Venue: Franciscan Education Center, 4th fl. Lecture Hall

◦Organizers: Korea Health Industry Development Institute, Green Consumers Network in Korea

 

◦Program

- Moderator: Lee Gyeong-hwan (Standing Committee Member of Green Consumers Network, Professor at Yonsei Univeristy Dept. of Medical Law & Ethics)

- Presentations:

▪ The Medical Institution Evaluation System: Significance, Current Status and Future Directions/Lee Sin-ho (Korea Health Industry Development Institute)

▪ Toward Qualitatively Superior Healthcare Service: What the Medical Institution Evaluation System Can Do/Sin Hyeon-taek (Standing Committee Member of Green Consumers Network, Professor of Pharmacology at Sookmyung Women’s University College of Pharmacy)

▪ For Successful Implementation of Medical Institution Evaluation System: A Policy Proposal/Byeon Seong-won (Greens Consumers Network, Policy Committee), Korean National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union, Kyungpook University Hospital

 

- Panel Discussion

Choi Gyeong-il (Secretary General, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Dept. of Medical Policy)

Oh Seok-jun (Professor of Medicine, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital)

Cho Gyeong-ae (Co-Chairman of Health Right Network)

Hwang Seon-ok (Standing Trustee of Citizens Alliance for Consumer Protection of Korea)

Association of Korea Oriental Medicine

▶ Inquiries: Cho Yun-mi, Secretary General, Green Consumers Network (3273-7117)

 


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