▲ K-Beauty
As the global K-beauty craze has led to a rise in counterfeit products masquerading as authentic Korean cosmetics, the government and the industry have joined forces to take action.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced on June 16 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the Korea Customs Service, and the Korea Cosmetic Association at the Intellectual Property Center in Gangnam-gu to combat counterfeit cosmetics.
A government official stated, "We signed this agreement to establish a joint response system between relevant ministries and the industry to address the issue of counterfeit cosmetics that are piggybacking on the global growth of K-beauty."
Last year, South Korea's cosmetic exports reached a record high of $11.4 billion.
As a result, South Korea has become the world's second-largest exporter of cosmetics.
With the popularity of K-beauty rising worldwide, the problem of counterfeit goods has become increasingly serious.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the scale of counterfeit goods infringing on the intellectual property rights of Korean companies in 2024 amounted to $9.7 billion (approximately 14.6 trillion KRW). Cosmetics accounted for 10% of this total (based on customs seizure value), ranking third after electronics and textiles/clothing.
During the signing ceremony, each agency presented its plan to eradicate the distribution of counterfeit cosmetics.
Furthermore, the MFDS, KIPO, Korea Customs Service, and the Korea Cosmetic Association agreed to hold regular public-private consultative meetings on a semi-annual basis.
The consultative body will share information on the distribution of counterfeit cosmetics, discuss and coordinate policies for response, and collaborate on online monitoring and educational initiatives.
"Counterfeit cosmetics are a serious challenge that threatens public health and the credibility of K-beauty," said Oh Yu-kyoung, Minister of Food and Drug Safety. "The MFDS will respond thoroughly to counterfeit cosmetics so that K-beauty can further solidify its position in the global market."
"Protecting K-brands goes beyond simple rights acquisition; it is directly linked to the overseas expansion and competitiveness of K-beauty and our companies," said Kim Yong-sun, Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office. "We will do our utmost to resolve export barriers for our companies in the global market by strengthening the pan-government crackdown capacity against the distribution of counterfeit cosmetics."
"In particular, we will expand cooperation with customs authorities and investigative agencies in major export countries to crack down on K-brand counterfeit goods manufactured, distributed, and exported overseas, and we will actively support the global market entry of K-brand companies," said Lee Jong-wook, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.