'10 Years Since Launch' KIPO Special Investigation Unit Cracks Down on 12 Million Counterfeit Items Including BTS Products

Data on the crackdown and guidance activities related to counterfeit products of Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) by the Patent Office Special Judicial Police. Provided by the Patent Office.

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Special Judicial Police of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (hereinafter referred to as Special Judicial Police) has marked its 10th anniversary since its launch. Over the past decade, the Special Judicial Police have cracked down on more than 12 million counterfeit items related to BTS and other products, resulting in the criminal indictment of over 3,500 individuals.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 15th, the Special Judicial Police was established in September 2010 with regional offices in Seoul, Daejeon, and Busan, becoming the first specialized investigation agency for counterfeit goods in South Korea.

In March 2019, the scope of their duties, which had been limited to trademarks, was expanded to include investigations into patents, trade secrets, and design infringements. Currently, 35 investigators are responding to intellectual property infringement cases occurring nationwide.

Since its inception to the present, the Special Judicial Police have handled approximately 45,000 cases. During these investigations, they have criminally indicted over 3,500 trademark infringement offenders and seized more than 12 million counterfeit items valued at about 500 billion KRW in genuine product prices.

The most frequently seized items were bags (genuine product value 155 billion KRW, 31%), followed by automobile parts (65.7 billion KRW, 13%), clothing (58.7 billion KRW, 12%), and accessories (45.3 billion KRW, 9%).

Graph of counterfeit goods crackdowns by the Patent Office Special Investigation Unit from 2011 to 2020. Provided by the Patent Office

The Special Judicial Police have also played a significant role in eradicating large-scale distribution of counterfeit goods. Notable crackdowns include the distribution of counterfeit health supplements (in 2015, genuine market value approximately 65.2 billion KRW), distribution and sale of counterfeit automobile wheels (in 2017, genuine market value approximately 22.5 billion KRW), and manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit mask packs (in 2019, genuine market value approximately 20 billion KRW).

In particular, last year, they achieved notable success in cracking down on counterfeit goods related to BTS, a leading figure in the Korean Wave, raising global awareness of the importance of intellectual property protection in the K-POP sector. This helped prevent the uncontrolled spread of BTS-branded goods that bypassed legitimate manufacturing and distribution channels.

Recently, in line with the rapid growth of the non-face-to-face industry and online consumption, the Special Judicial Police have focused on cracking down on counterfeit goods traded online. Through these efforts, they apprehended a family attempting to sell counterfeit luxury goods valued at approximately 62.5 billion KRW via SNS live broadcasts.

Jung Ki-hyun, Director of the Industrial Property Investigation Division at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, stated, “The Special Judicial Police have focused on cracking down on counterfeit goods to prevent damage to rights holders and consumers. At this 10-year milestone, the Korean Intellectual Property Office plans to expand the organization and personnel of the Special Judicial Police to take the lead in eradicating intellectual property infringement and strengthening protection.”

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