Korea Intellectual Property Office busts broker for selling fake goods

The Korea Intellectual Property Office said Thursday it has referred a broker to prosecutors for selling counterfeit cosmetics and health functional foods through domestic online open markets. The agency conducted its first joint investigation with special judicial police from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety after receiving tips that genuine-looking products with differing packaging materials and certification marks were circulating on platforms like Coupang and Naver.

Investigators found that the broker, identified as A, conspired with a manufacturer in Shenzhen to sell forged products between October 2024 and November 2025. Authorities seized additional illegal items from a logistics warehouse the suspect managed in North Chungcheong Province, where A stored goods sent via international express cargo before shipping them to buyers nationwide.

Detailed comparisons confirmed all seized items were Chinese counterfeits based on discrepancies in packaging material, printing content, container shape, and product texture. In one instance involving Brita water filters, the suspect actively participated in fraud by removing original labels stating "Made in China" and replacing them with markings indicating German origin.

The total haul included cosmetics, quasi-drugs, and unreported imported foods featuring domestic brands such as Celltrix and Kahii alongside Estee Lauder and SK-II. Another set of trademark-infringing items, including AirPods, PlayStation joysticks, Birkenstock slippers, and Nike shoes, was also seized. Laboratory tests on functional cosmetics and health supplements detected none of the claimed active ingredients or indicator substances.

"Consumers should use official sales channels certified by brand or manufacturing companies when purchasing famous products through online open markets," the KIPO Trademark Special Judicial Police and MFDS Hazardous Offenders Central Investigation Team said. They added that they would strengthen investigative cooperation to strictly crack down on and punish acts of distributing and selling counterfeit goods that threaten public health and undermine fair trade order.