Shiin Faces Controversy Over Selling Counterfeits at Korea's First Popup... "Removed the Items"

Acknowledging the Sale of Counterfeit Goods in Effect
Regarding Carcinogens, "Safety Standards Are in Place"

Exterior view of the Shein pop-up store.
Photo by Minji Lee

The Chinese online platform Shein has confirmed that it has excluded all recently controversial counterfeit products from display and sale at its domestic pop-up store.

A Shein representative stated on the 9th at a media day held at the Shein pop-up store in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, "Due to the controversy surrounding the counterfeit products, we have prioritized removing those items from display," adding, "We have no special comments to make regarding this matter."

Shein opened its first pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, the day before. The store showcased clothing designs reminiscent of the American brand 'Polo' and casual brands 'Kirsh' and 'Fred Perry,' which sparked counterfeit product controversies. Currently, these products cannot be found in the store.

The product currently sold on Shein and the item that caused controversy at the pop-up store were similar in every aspect including the logo, differing only in color and whether they had a collar.
[Photo by Shein application capture]

Following the exclusion of these products from the pop-up store, they are also unavailable online. A Shein representative responded, "To prevent misunderstandings, we have taken measures to ensure these products cannot be purchased online." However, while the controversial products have been removed, items with different colors or slightly different designs are still confirmed to be on sale. These products feature designs and logos similar to the cable knitwear of the American brand 'Polo.'

Shein has faced criticism for selling counterfeit goods alongside Chinese e-commerce companies AliExpress and Temu. Last month, AliExpress signed a voluntary agreement with the Korea Fair Trade Commission to prevent the distribution of counterfeit products, strengthening monitoring and establishing self-regulation measures. However, Shein, which announced its entry into the Korean market in April, had not issued an official statement until now.

Instead, Shein showed its intention to strengthen marketing by appointing actress Kim Yoo-jung as a global ambassador. However, by removing the products that caused controversy this time, it appears to have indirectly acknowledged the sale of counterfeit products.

Shein is also not free from controversy regarding carcinogenic substances. According to Seoul city, children's rain boots sold by Shein exceeded the phthalate plasticizer standard by 482.9 times. The ribbon part attached to the boots contained the substance at over 682.4 times the standard. Phthalate plasticizers are endocrine-disrupting substances that affect reproductive functions such as reduced sperm count, infertility, and premature birth. They are classified as possible human carcinogens (Group 2B). The product has since been immediately removed.

Regarding this, a Shein representative explained, "We are making efforts to comply with safety standards during the production process," adding, "We cooperate with international third-party testing agencies to conduct regular tests and have internal measures to promptly remove products that fail to meet safety standards and impose disadvantages on suppliers as a follow-up action, all to ensure safety."

Meanwhile, the Shein pop-up store will run until the 14th. Instead of having a permanent store, Shein plans to periodically open pop-up stores to create opportunities for Korean consumers to take an interest in Shein.