No Formaldehyde Detected in Chinese Cabbage Shipments Tested at Korean Customs, Regulators Say
核心洞察
South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (搜索) found no detectable formaldehyde in eight shipments of Chinese cabbage tested at customs since the controversy emerged.
Testing began on August 24 after video footage showed workers in China dipping cabbage roots into a formaldehyde solution before transport.
The ministry is expanding testing to cabbage kimchi and salted cabbage by manufacturer, including products already on sale in South Korea.
South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (搜索) reported on August 26 that none of the Chinese cabbage shipments tested at customs contained detectable formaldehyde, a Group 1 carcinogen, following reports that the chemical had been used in parts of China to preserve the vegetable during transport.
The ministry said all eight shipments of Chinese cabbage declared for import over two days starting on August 24 tested negative for formaldehyde. The ministry began testing every incoming shipment of Chinese cabbage for the chemical at customs on August 24, when the controversy widened. Under the strengthened measures, samples are checked three times, once for each packing site.
The testing is not limited to raw cabbage. The ministry is also testing cabbage kimchi and salted cabbage by manufacturer, and plans to collect and test Chinese cabbage, cabbage kimchi and salted cabbage already on sale in South Korea, covering products from every manufacturer in China. Results will be released as they become available.
"We will continue to monitor information related to the use of formaldehyde on Chinese cabbage and strengthen inspections so that people can consume food with confidence," a ministry official said.
Origin of the Controversy
The issue came to light when a Chinese blogger posted video footage of a cabbage purchasing site in Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province. The footage showed workers dipping the root ends of cabbages into a liquid before loading them onto trucks, along with a container labeled "formaldehyde solution."
The Kangbao County government confirmed the facts in an initial investigation and characterized the practice as an illegal act during transport. China's Food Safety Commission Office under the State Council, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the State Administration for Market Regulation ordered a trace of distribution channels along with nationwide sample testing and market inspections of vegetables prone to spoilage.
Whether any of the affected cabbage actually entered South Korea has not been confirmed. The ministry is exchanging information with Chinese authorities through channels including the South Korean Embassy in Beijing to determine whether the produce was exported. Local governments are conducting their own checks, with North Chungcheong Province announcing it would monitor sales of cabbage distributed within the province from August 26 until the situation is resolved.
Health Risks of Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strongly irritating chemical whose aqueous solution is commonly known as formalin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (搜索), part of the World Health Organization, classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence that exposure to the substance can cause cancer in humans. It can also irritate the eyes, nose and throat, with more severe effects associated with higher levels of exposure. The chemical is used for disinfection and to preserve biological tissue, and its use in food is banned in China as well.
Trade Context and Public Concern
The issue has attracted widespread public attention in South Korea, as China accounts for about 99 percent of the country's imported kimchi. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, South Korea imported a record 336,221 metric tons of kimchi from China last year, the highest annual volume on record. Imports increased 39.7 percent over the five years from 2021 to 2025. The pace has remained strong this year, with 194,401 metric tons imported through July, putting 2026 on track for another record.
Hygiene controversies over Chinese kimchi have recurred. Parasite eggs were detected in 2005 and pathogenic E. coli in 2013, and in 2021 footage spread of a shirtless man standing in salt water while salting cabbage, in what became known as the "naked kimchi" video.
The impact at the time showed up in trade data. Imports of Chinese kimchi totaled 240,606 tons in 2021, down about 15% from 281,186 tons a year earlier, according to National Tax Service import-export trade statistics. The decline did not last, however. Imports recovered to 260,102 tons in 2022, and a survey of 1,000 restaurants conducted by the Korea Foodservice Industry Research Institute in April 2021 found that the share buying imported kimchi fell only to 43.1% from 47.1% before the controversy, a drop of 4.0 percentage points.