Even Jang Wonyoung's Device Was Copied... K-Beauty's "Counterfeit War" Surges 130%

Ministry of Intellectual Property Reports 131% Surge in Online Counterfeit Sales Blocks
Companies Step Up Crackdowns on Chinese Factories and AI Monitoring
Government Also Launches K-Brand Certification System

Counterfeit goods riding the K-beauty wave have spread beyond cosmetics to beauty devices. As fakes of best-selling products from domestic brands popular overseas enter circulation, companies are expanding their response efforts, from cracking down on manufacturing plants in China to monitoring online sales networks in Southeast Asia. With concerns growing that individual companies have limited ability to tackle the problem on their own, the government has also stepped in to protect K-brands by becoming a trademark holder itself.

APR's Medicube AGE-R beauty device, modeled by Jang Wonyoung. Provided by APR.

According to industry sources on October 9, APR has confirmed cases of counterfeit goods involving not only cosmetics from its flagship brand Medicube but also beauty devices such as AGE-R. Goodai Global, another leading K-beauty company, also said reports of counterfeit products on global e-commerce platforms and social media rose 25% year over year in the first half of this year. The company said counterfeit goods are spreading into e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia, as well as China. The concern is particularly acute with beauty devices, as they are electronic products used directly on the skin.

As K-beauty's global profile has grown, counterfeit-product controversies have continued. According to data from the office of Baek Jong-heon, a People Power Party lawmaker on the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, 37,544 listings of counterfeit cosmetics were blocked from sale on domestic and overseas online platforms between January and August this year. The data, submitted by the Ministry of Intellectual Property, showed an increase of 130.8% from 16,270 cases in the same period last year.

With concerns that failure to resolve the counterfeit-goods problem could constrain K-beauty's growth, beauty companies have also begun taking action. In August, Singapore's Health Sciences Authority said it had detected a trace amount of a prohibited colorant in Medicube's PDRN Pink Collagen Capsule Cream. However, the product was reportedly a counterfeit sold through unofficial channels. APR is alerting consumers to ways to prevent harm, including how to verify product authenticity using the QR code on the packaging.

An APR official said, "We do not disclose specific figures, such as the number of counterfeit products detected or the year-over-year rate of change." The official added, "We are continuing to strengthen our monitoring of counterfeit goods in circulation and are responding actively to confirmed cases in cooperation with relevant departments and organizations."

Goodai Global also established an in-house intellectual property team in 2024 and built a response system covering the entire process, from manufacturing and customs clearance to distribution. The company has conducted joint raids with overseas law enforcement authorities to seize and destroy counterfeit goods, and is also working with the Ministry of Intellectual Property and the Korea Customs Service to inspect warehouses in South Korea. A Goodai Global official said, "As brand awareness rises in global markets, the scale of counterfeit goods detected is also growing," adding, "We are upgrading our counterfeit detection system, which is helping us respond more quickly."

Amorepacific operates an authentication mark system for authorized retailers and conducts real-time monitoring powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent the distribution of counterfeit goods. An Amorepacific official said, "When counterfeit products are identified, we work with domestic and overseas online platforms to block their distribution and take legal action. Recently, we have also joined the government's K-brand certification system to strengthen our response measures."

As the problem of counterfeit K-beauty products has grown, the government has also taken action. On October 7, the Ministry of Intellectual Property launched the K-Brand Government Certification System, under which the government becomes the rights holder of nationally certified trademarks and takes action against counterfeit products overseas. The government will directly manage the certified trademarks and exercise trademark rights if the certification mark is counterfeited abroad. It is also pursuing measures to use product-authentication technology to trace the distribution channels of counterfeit goods.

President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the government's role in tackling counterfeit goods by posting a message titled "K-Brands: The Government Will Now Help Protect Them" on X on the 7th. Kwon Jaehee, reporter.

On October 7, President Lee Jae-myung also emphasized the government's role in tackling counterfeit goods by posting a message titled "K-Brands: The Government Will Now Help Protect Them" on X. "K-brands, from K-beauty and K-food to K-fashion, are rapidly becoming part of people's daily lives around the world," he said, adding, "As the popularity of K-brands grows, so does the damage to our companies from counterfeit goods overseas."

The government plans to step up international law enforcement cooperation to promote nationally certified trademarks overseas and crack down on counterfeit goods. It will raise awareness of the certification marks among overseas consumers, while gathering information on the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products and sharing it with local law enforcement agencies for use in crackdowns. The Ministry of Intellectual Property has completed domestic applications for the nationally certified trademarks and plans to complete overseas applications in 73 major export markets by the end of the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.