[The Hwankyung Ilbo] Lead substances harmful to children have been detected 1,000 times the standard in paint products sold by famous companies.

The Special Act on the Safety of Children’s Products regulates the amount of lead content in paint used in children's products to below 90 PPM, while the Environmental Health Act limits the weight of lead to less than 0.06%.

According to the data submitted to Rep. Shin Chang-hyun of the Democratic Party of Korea from the Institute for Occupational & Environmental Health Institute, lead was found in 11 out of the 18 paint products sold in the country.

However, lead-detecting paint manufacturers promised to make efforts to develop alternative materials without using chromate compounds, lead and cadmium for paint through a 2016 voluntary agreement with the Ministry of Environment to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in paint.

“We will consider the plan to attach a warning label to paint that contains lead materials in consultation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy,” said Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae. “We will revise the Enforcement Decree of the Environmental Health Act to make it mandatory to use lead-free eco-friendly products for paints used in children's activities.”

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