Seoul Metropolitan Government is intensifying its crackdown on counterfeit luxury goods proliferating on live commerce and secondhand trading platforms by deploying a dedicated investigation unit.
The city announced on the 16th that it established an "Intelligent Crime Investigation Team" in January and will operate a full-time online monitoring task force starting this month to combat counterfeit crimes spreading through digital channels.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Public Safety Judicial Police Bureau has conducted trademark infringement investigations for 13 years since 2012, following its establishment in 2008. Over the past four years (2022-2025), the bureau filed criminal charges in 503 cases and seized 46,128 counterfeit items valued at approximately 42.7 billion won ($30 million) at genuine retail prices.
The crackdown, previously focused on offline operations, will expand across online channels including live commerce, secondhand trading platforms, open markets, and social media. While the overall online shopping market grew moderately from 216 trillion won in 2022 to 272 trillion won in 2025, the live commerce market expanded approximately 2.3 times during the same period—from 2 trillion won to 4.7 trillion won—with counterfeit distribution and consumer damages rising accordingly.
The city views public participation as crucial to enforcement efforts. Citizens who report online counterfeit goods and make decisive contributions to public interest may receive rewards up to 200 million won ($140,000) under relevant ordinances. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the "Seoul Smart Complaint Report" app and the Public Safety Crime Report Center.
Investigations proceed faster when tipsters submit initial evidence including the counterfeit product itself, purchase receipts, seller information (business registration number, delivery tracking numbers, contact details, return addresses), and screenshots of chat conversations.
The task force plans to conduct regular inspections of suspicious sales channels based on citizen reports and physical evidence, analyze seller information in detail, and trace the entire distribution, storage, and sales process.
Those caught distributing, selling, or storing counterfeit goods face up to seven years in prison or fines up to 100 million won under Article 230 of the Trademark Act.
"Swift citizen reports are the key to success in online counterfeit investigations," said Byun Kyung-ok, Director of Seoul Metropolitan Government's Public Safety Judicial Police Bureau. "We will establish sound distribution order by combining our task force's specialized investigative capabilities with valuable citizen tips, and reward those who contribute to detection accordingly."