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The Korean Embassy has issued a warning to Malaysian consumers about the rising reports of fake face masks carrying the “Korea Filter” name.

These face masks, often bought online, are not actually tested and approved by Korean authorities, and could likely be inferior or low-quality products.

It is important to note that not all KF face masks sold on e-commerce platforms or pharmacies are from Korea, some are manufactured in other countries without being tested and approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of the Republic of Korea.

Korean Embassy
The KF face masks look like this– a different design from the common blue ones.
(Credit: Lazada)

Just search any e-commerce platform and you’ll find plenty of face masks under the keywords “KF94 Face Mask”. Fakes will often have vague descriptors such as ‘reusable’, ‘washable’, ‘Korea style’, or ‘Korea FDA certified’. It’s also another red flag if there isn’t a proper product specification on the packaging.

Additionally, the Embassy warns against prices that seem too good to be true, particularly if they are lower than Korea’s own market price, which is going for RM4.38 per piece of KF-94 mask and RM2.16 per piece for the KF-AD mask.

Make sure to check your KF face masks to ensure the product is legitimate!
(Credit: Fernando Fong)

If you have purchased a KF80, 94, or AD face mask and want to check its authenticity, you can do so here on the MFDS database (do note that everything is in Korean; see below for the guide on how to use it).

If the masks you have purchased are not on the database, there is a high chance that it is counterfeit and the Embassy firmly discourages its use.

A genuine KF face mask approved by MFDS should have this information:

How To Check If Your Mask Is Genuine

1. Search for the Product Name (품목명) OR Product Code on the back of your purchased mask. (The Embassy suggests using Google Lens to copy and paste the Korean text, or just search via the product code.)

2. Go to THIS website.

3. Paste the name of the Korean KF face mask or the product code.

4. If the product is a genuine KF face mask, it will show up on the list.

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