[Interview] “Fake K-Brands” Abroad: The Government Is Now Stepping In to Stop Them Directly

[Financial News] “Until now, individual companies faced clear limits in finding counterfeit goods on their own in other countries and prompting local investigations and crackdowns. Now, the government will directly take action to block knockoffs as the rights holder of the national certification mark.”
 Kim Yong-sun, Minister of Intellectual Property (Photo) expressed strong determination to stop the distribution of fake K-brands in an interview with this newspaper on the 7th, when the national-level counterfeit defense system, the “K-Brand Government Certification System,” went into full operation.
 As the Korean Wave sweeps the world, the standing of Korean products—from K-Beauty, K-food and K-Fashion—continues to rise. But losses from counterfeit goods made by copying them without authorization, commonly known as “knockoffs,” are also increasing explosively. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the annual distribution of counterfeit K-brand goods overseas reached 11 trillion won in 2024. The Ministry of Intellectual Property has already blocked more than 1.06 million fake K-brand posts directly on overseas online platforms.
 Minister Kim cited the government’s direct involvement as the most fundamental change brought by the system.
 “Previously, the government’s role was limited to providing back-end support only after companies had suffered losses. Now, the government will become the rights holder of the national certification mark,” he said. He added, “By combining AI technology for authenticating genuine products with a robust framework for cooperation with foreign governments and investigative agencies, we will proactively detect and block the distribution of fake K-brands.”
 The Ministry of Intellectual Property had moved at top speed to establish the system. Minister Kim said, “Following a report to a Cabinet meeting in March, we secured a supplementary budget of 9.5 billion won right away in April. Along with coordinating with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, we visited companies on the ground that had suffered serious losses and held roundtable meetings with them several times, incorporating their concerns into policy.”
 Building on this, the Ministry of Intellectual Property completed domestic applications for the national certification mark last September. The next goal is overseas. Minister Kim said, “We plan to complete applications for the national certification mark in all 73 overseas countries that account for 97% of South Korea’s exports by the end of the year.”
 Minister Kim reiterated that K-brands are a national asset that extends beyond individual companies.
 He emphasized, “K-brands are a valuable national asset, created collectively through our people’s passion and willingness to take on challenges, and not just an asset belonging to our companies. The Ministry of Intellectual Property will provide steadfast support so that our companies do not suffer losses from counterfeit goods overseas and K-brands can be trusted and chosen anywhere in the world,” he promised.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter