Customs authorities in Incheon, South Korea, have uncovered more than 50,000 counterfeit products that illegally entered the country through Chinese e-commerce platforms like Taobao and AliExpress.
The Incheon Customs Office announced on June 23 that it detected 49,487 counterfeit branded items during a focused crackdown on maritime express cargo from April 22 to June 14.
The most frequently seized counterfeit items were 11,375 miscellaneous goods like keychains, followed by 11,221 pieces of stationery and toys, which accounted for 22.7% of the total. Next came 4,319 tumblers and tableware, making up 8.7%, and 3,060 perfumes and diffusers, comprising 6.2%.
Among the seized items were 10,890 counterfeit luxury brand products from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Dior and 1,497 imitation products from Korean brands, such as photo cards of Korean idol singers, cosmetics, mobile earphones, and chargers.
Incheon Customs conducted intensified crackdowns in response to continuous detections of counterfeit branded goods entering through Chinese e-commerce platforms.
Anticipating an increase in counterfeit goods entering through overseas direct purchases, the Incheon Customs Office plans to strengthen enforcement measures. This includes conducting additional investigations into small individual shops that import fake products via social media.
Ju Si Gyeong, head of Incheon Customs, stated, “As the stature of Korean brands rises, there is growing public concern over counterfeit products,” adding, “To protect the image of domestic corporate brands and prevent financial losses, we will maintain stricter enforcement measures.”
