During a joint crackdown held under the yellow tents in Dongdaemun Saebit Market, a large number of counterfeit goods were seized.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) announced on the 11th that from the 3rd to the 6th, the 'Saebit Market Counterfeit Goods Investigation Council (hereinafter referred to as the Council)' conducted a joint crackdown, seizing 1,534 counterfeit items and filing charges without detention against three individuals, including Mr. A (35), for trademark law violations related to the sale of counterfeit goods.
From the 3rd to the 6th of this month, the 'Saebit Market Counterfeit Goods Investigation Council' conducted a relay joint crackdown at Dongdaemun Saebit Market, seizing a total of 1,500 counterfeit items. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office
The Council was launched in February with the participation of KIPO, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Jung-gu Office of Seoul, and Seoul Jungbu Police Station, aiming to eradicate the distribution of counterfeit goods in Saebit Market. Since its launch, the Council has continuously conducted crackdowns three times in March, May, and July.
This month marked the fourth crackdown, carried out in a relay manner by the participating organizations in preparation for an expected increase in counterfeit goods sales around the Chuseok holiday. Jung-gu Office conducted crackdowns on the 3rd and 5th, Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 4th, and KIPO along with Seoul Jungbu Police Station on the 6th, each on different days, consecutively targeting counterfeit goods.
As a result, the fourth crackdown seized a larger quantity of counterfeit goods than the combined total seized in the first three crackdowns. The total number of counterfeit items seized in the first to third crackdowns was 1,173, with 854 items seized in the first, 217 in the second, and 102 in the third.
On-site, it was observed that the yellow tent merchants in Saebit Market, facing continuous crackdowns, minimized the display of counterfeit goods at their stalls. Instead, they showed photos of the products on smartphones to potential buyers and then delivered and sold the actual items from vehicles parked nearby, employing such evasive tactics.
In response, the Council judged that the vehicles of the yellow tent merchants illegally occupying the road were being used as warehouses for counterfeit goods and plans to strengthen crackdowns on these vehicles going forward.
Park Ju-yeon, head of the Trademark Special Judicial Police Division at KIPO, stated, “The sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime that infringes on others’ property rights, and it is suspected that the yellow tent merchants are currently making high profits through counterfeit sales.” He added, “The Council plans to continue crackdowns on counterfeit goods centered around Saebit Market even after Chuseok.”
Meanwhile, Saebit Market refers to the so-called counterfeit market formed by about 100 yellow tents installed around Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station in Seoul. This market, which mainly operates briefly from 8 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. the next day, is known among domestic and international tourists as an international(?) counterfeit goods trading spot.
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