SHORTAGE OF SMALL DENTAL MASKS FOR CHILDREN

[Anchor Lead]

With the weather getting warm, more and more people are looking for what's called dental masks which are easier to breathe through in high temperatures. But as the name implies, they are originally meant for medical staff and therefore smaller sized ones that children can use are extremely difficult to buy.

[Pkg]

​A street in Seoul's downtown Jongno area, home to a cluster of pharmacies. We went into one of the pharmacies and asked whether or not they had dental masks for children.

[Soundbite] (PHARMACIST(VOICE ALTERED)) : "(Do you have small dental masks?) No, we don't. (Were you not expecting more supply?) No, we are completely out of stock."

A similar scene unfolds at other pharmacies as well.

[Soundbite] (PHARMACIST(VOICE ALTERED)) : "We have the adult size dental masks but not those for children. (Will you receive any more supplies?) I can't get a hold of more."

KBS checked out ten drug stores in the area and not one place sold small-sized dental masks. Dental or surgical masks were originally made for medical workers and naturally small sized ones meant for children are hard to come by. As a result, parents looking for thinner masks for their children have no other choice but to buy the regular one time use disposable masks. Even these regular masks, especially Korean made ones with the Korea Certification mark are surging in price as domestic masks are more popular than those made in China or Vietnam. A small size single-use mask costs about 4,000 won per sheet, compared to a dental mask that costs around 500 won. Disposable masks used to cost a mere 170 won before the coronavirus outbreak. The price has surged more than 20 fold. But unlike dental masks which fall under the sanitary goods category, regular masks are considered an industrial product and it's not possible for the Food and Drug Safety Ministry to regulate their price or increase production. There are cheaper imported masks but citizens are reluctant to buy them.

[Soundbite] (SEOUL CITIZEN) : "I first want to check if it's made in Korea as Chinese imports are easy to buy online these days."

With rising temperatures, fifth and sixth grade students in elementary school will be the last group of students to return to school next week and parents are worried about equipping them with proper masks.