Seoul: Authorities have nabbed a South Korean national accused of illegally importing and selling 5.8 billion won (US$4.2 million) worth of fake goods at local e-commerce sites by conspiring with Chinese manufacturers, the drug ministry said Thursday. The suspect was referred to the prosecution for allegedly leading the fulfillment of such goods, following a joint investigation with the Ministry of Intellectual Property, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a press briefing.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the suspect is accused of colluding with manufacturers in Shenzhen to sell 61 fake product varieties, mostly cosmetics and health supplements, worth 4.5 billion won, from October 2024 to November 2025. Separately, 87 varieties of fake goods worth a combined 1.3 billion won were found to have been stored at a warehouse in Cheongju, central Seoul, officials said.
The South Korean broker was found to have imported 10,984 items from China, of which 82,860 were sold on e-commerce sites like Coupang and Naver. Investigators have confiscated the rest of the 18,124 products, the ministry added. "We have found the Chinese manufacturer was the operator of the online market, while the Korean national would directly purchase the products from his Chinese accomplices, store them in a warehouse and deliver them to customers," authorities said. "We were not able to confirm how many customers have purchased the counterfeit products."
Authorities said it has seized 13 million won of proceeds the South Korean broker earned through commissions from the Chinese manufacturers but noted it would be difficult to hold e-commerce platforms like Naver and Coupang liable in regard to this case.