Fresh from summit diplomacy with North Korea, South Korea’s government now faces an entirely new challenge — trying to set international quality and size standards for condoms.
The five-day meeting, organised by the International Organisation for Standardisation and the Seoul government, will begin next Monday on the southern resort island of Jeju.
The Commerce Ministry’s standardisation agency expects 100 people from 50 nations to take part, agency spokesperson Yoo Yong-Jae said.
South Korean firms, led by Unidus, account for about 30% of global condom sales.
“Demand has been growing for years for unified international standards on the size and quality of condoms to ensure users are protected from disease and women from pregnancy,” Unidus chief Kim Sung-Hoon said.
“The size of South Korean condoms now meets international standards, helped by an increase in the size of men’s penises here,” he was quoted as saying.
Globally, 80 major companies are capable of producing 12-billion condoms a year, but annual demand is just eight billion, he said.
Citing the good quality of South Korean condoms, he said his company would lobby for the World Health Organisation and other participants to adopt Korean standards. — AFP