Seoul police seize record haul of knockoff luxury goods
Seoul authorities seized 7,369 suspected counterfeit luxury goods from an underground warehouse and referred a man to prosecutors.
Counterfeit luxury goods seized from a basement warehouse in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul
SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT
A man has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly stockpiling thousands of knockoff luxury goods in an underground warehouse in Seoul, the city government said Monday.
The suspect, who allegedly planned to distribute the goods through other sellers, is accused of violating the Trademark Act.
The municipal police tasked with investigating administrative offenses uncovered 7,369 counterfeit luxury goods — worth an estimated 8.9 billion won ($6.4 million) if genuine — in a basement warehouse in Jangan-dong, Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul. It was the largest haul since the municipal police team began investigating counterfeit goods.
Among the seized items were 1,004 bags, 3,187 wallets, 752 pairs of sunglasses and 669 bottles of perfume carrying fake luxury-brand labels. The counterfeits were considered to be of the highest quality.
The suspect partly denied the allegations and claimed some of the goods were genuine. He also repeatedly delayed questioning for personal reasons. Municipal investigators said they conducted a detailed second appraisal through overseas trademark holders to verify details of the case.
Investigators found that the suspect had stockpiled thousands of counterfeit goods in a large warehouse and enlisted separate sellers to sell them nationwide through livestreams on YouTube and other platforms.
Investigators found that the man had scaled up his counterfeit business over the years, moving beyond his beginnings as a street vendor in Dongdaemun and expanding his inventory and sales channels despite repeated penalties for Trademark Act violations.
Investigators will examine mobile phones and transaction records to trace how the counterfeit goods were obtained and identify additional suppliers. The investigation will continue after the case is sent to prosecutors.
The distribution, sale or storage of counterfeit goods constitutes a criminal offense that inflicts significant damage on others’ property and reputation and carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison or a 100 million won fine under the Trademark Act.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
