South Korea's Intellectual Property Office announced plans to intensify crackdowns on counterfeit health supplements sold online, citing concerns over increased gift-giving demand ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The office's Trademark Special Judicial Police conducted six raids between July 2024 and January 2025 after detecting distribution of fake health supplements in the second half of last year. The operations resulted in the seizure of approximately 8,000 counterfeit products now under investigation.
The confiscated items were primarily Korea's best-selling supplement categories, including vitamins, probiotics, and joint and bone health products. Laboratory analysis revealed the products contained no beneficial ingredients whatsoever—essentially worthless fakes.
The Trademark Police warned that counterfeit supplements not only fail to deliver advertised benefits but also pose direct health risks to consumers. The agency has stepped up efforts to eliminate fake supplement distribution before the holiday.
As a proactive measure, the Trademark Police is working with major online platforms to strengthen seller verification requirements for health supplement vendors. The agency has also launched a pilot program for round-the-clock monitoring, including weekends and nighttime hours. If proven effective, the initiative will be expanded to additional platforms.
The Intellectual Property Office also plans to establish a dedicated health supplement division within its Anti-Counterfeiting Council to strengthen public-private cooperation against fake supplement distribution.
"Health supplements are products that consumers directly ingest, making them far more dangerous than other counterfeit goods in terms of public health risks. Blocking these products before purchase is paramount," said Kim Yong-sun, Commissioner of the Intellectual Property Office. "We will continue intensive crackdowns and online distribution blocks targeting counterfeit goods that directly affect public safety and health."