How to Distinguish Between 'Myeongpum' and 'Jjaktung'?

Seoul Jung-gu Holds Campaign with Related Agencies to Eradicate Illegal Counterfeits and Teaches How to Distinguish Genuine Luxury Goods from Fakes

Jung-gu District Office in Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) held a unique event called "Finding the Real Thing" in Myeongdong on the afternoon of the 17th.

The event involved placing luxury goods and counterfeit products side by side, which at first glance looked identical, and guessing which items were genuine, attracting great interest from tourists.

Tourists touched the high-priced luxury bags and counterfeits to feel the difference in texture and opened the bags to examine the interior finishing. They appeared very serious, as if taking an important exam.

"Counterfeit products differ greatly from genuine ones in material, finishing, and decorations," a brand expert at the site explained to tourists how to distinguish counterfeits. "In the case of fakes, the logo finishing is sharp and the materials are different," he added, explaining the differences in metal decorations as well.

Since the counterfeit products were so meticulously made that it was difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye, tourists found the expert’s explanations about which were genuine very interesting. About 200 tourists participated in the event that day, with foreigners accounting for 80% of them.

The "Find the Real Thing" event held in front of the Myeongdong Arts Theater was organized to promote proper awareness of trademark rights and prevent consumer damage, marking the first such initiative by a local government. Jung-gu collaborated with the Seoul Office of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency, Jungbu Police Station, and luxury brand companies (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Kolon, etc.) to carry out the event.

At the same time, an illegal counterfeit eradication campaign was held at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and its surrounding area. The campaign aimed to improve the image and establish a sound commercial order by eradicating illegal counterfeit goods in Seoul’s representative tourist spots including Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and Myeongdong. About 30 officials from related organizations participated, holding placards in English, Chinese, and Japanese that read "Do not buy or sell illegal counterfeit goods," marching and distributing informational leaflets to tourists.

Jung-gu continues to crack down on and guide illegal counterfeit goods at 6,000 stores and street vendors in the area. Through special crackdowns in the first and second halves of this year, a total of 292 cases of counterfeit goods were detected and 17,218 items were seized. The value of these goods, if genuine, amounts to approximately 9.9 billion KRW.

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, stated, "We have taken a step beyond enforcement-focused administration by organizing a special event to improve awareness of trademark rights and identify illegal counterfeit goods." He added, "Going forward, Jung-gu will continue to prevent the distribution and sale of illegal mass-produced goods to enhance the image of Jung-gu as a global tourist destination."

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