1.     Reporting Date

Dec, 7, 2023

2.     Reporting Media

https://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20231207_0002549244&cID=10201&pID=10200

3.     Reporting Contents

This year, 137 vendors selling counterfeit products, as known as 'knockoffs,' imitating famous brands were caught in the areas of Dongdaemun, Namdaemun market, and Myeongdong in Seoul.

In order to evade inspection, they have established secret stores and sold knockoff products, or they sold them online by deceiving them in the form of an overseas purchase agency.

The SJP of Seoul Metropolitan revealed on the 7^th that they had criminally charged 137 illegal sellers of counterfeits involved in trademark infringement through the comprehensive raid actions this year, an increase of about 17 individuals compared to the 120 caught last year.

The seizure items from the illegal seller amounted to approximately 61 billion won when estimated at genuine prices, totaling 7,731 pieces.

The breakdown by category includes 2,674 accessories (worth 1.69 billion won), 2,603 clothing items (worth 1.63 billion won), 500 bags (worth 1.49 billion won), 1,041 wallets (worth 870 million won), and 913 other miscellaneous items such as belts and scarves (worth 440 million won).

The city conducted trademark infringement investigations based on various citizen reports and the field information activities. In Dongdaemun's Saebit Market (street stalls), the largest hub for counterfeit goods transactions in Korea, the police launched intensive nighttime raid actions, resulting in the investigation of 500 cases and the confiscation of 2,103 counterfeit pieces with a genuine market value of 16 billion won.

In order to avoid inspections, sellers in Saebit Market concentrated on selling counterfeit products during late-night hours or weekends. Some vendors even used the tactic of prominently displaying genuine products at the front while hiding knockoffs in the back for sale.

In the Namdaemun Market area, 32 sellers of counterfeit accessories were apprehended, and 2,674 items with a genuine market value of over 1.7 billion won were confiscated.

Hazardous substances such as Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), exceeding the standard levels by 2 to 4 times, were detected in the metal accessories, such as necklaces and earrings.

In the Jongno area, known for its concentration of metal accessory shops, five individuals, including Mr. B, were caught selling 14k accessories produced by counterfeiting luxury trademarks at higher prices than regular items. The police seized 94 items with a genuine market value of 1.1 billion won.

In the Myeongdong area, three individuals were charged for enticing only foreigners, leading them to secluded locations within stores, and selling 183 counterfeit items, such as bags and clothing, disguised as luxury goods. The seized counterfeit items were 589 pieces and amounted to a genuine market value of 1.02 billion won.

Six individuals were caught engaging in the sale of counterfeit products purchased from Dongdaemun Saebit Market and Chinese online websites, registered on domestic websites, and sold by deceiving them in the form of an overseas purchase agency. Some sellers continuously changed their business information in order to evade raid actions and re-registered on shopping malls.

The production, sale, and storage of counterfeit goods result in significant damage to others' property and credit, constituting a criminal offense under Article 230 of the Trademark Law, punishable by imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of up to 100 million won.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government urged the public to actively report counterfeit product sellers. Those providing crucial evidence along with their reports are eligible to receive rewards of up to 200 million won under the “Seoul Special Metropolitan City Public Interest Reporting Protection and Support Ordinance.”

Seo Young-kwan, the head of the SJP of Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, “We will strengthen our raid actions further to enhance Seoul’s image and establish a healthy trading order. We encourage genuine purchases and ask the public to actively report the discovery of counterfeit products.”

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