"The Trending Luxury 'Kim Keonhee Necklace' Appears on Coupang... Is the Price Really Only 60,000 Won?"

A 60 Million Won "Kim Keonhee Necklace" Listed on Coupang, Sold for Only 60,000 Won with Free Shipping?
Sold as Overseas Shipment and Consignment Sales
No Verification Process
Commercial Use of "Kim Keonhee" Name Not New
Risk of Exaggerated Advertising and IP Infringement

The special prosecutor's team led by Min Jungki, which is investigating allegations that First Lady Kim Keonhee received a luxury necklace as a gift, has obtained a voluntary confession from a representative of Seohui Construction. Meanwhile, a counterfeit version of the necklace has become a hot topic after being sold online under the name "Kim Keonhee Necklace."

A 60 Million Won 'Kim Keonhee Necklace' Appears on Coupang, But Sells for Only 60,000 Won with Free Shipping?

First Lady Kim Geonhee is seated wearing the now-controversial 'Van Cleef Arpels' necklace during the 2022 NATO summit dinner. Photo by Yonhap News

This necklace first attracted attention in June 2022 during the NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, which was President Yoon Sukyeol’s first overseas trip. At the time, Kim wore it along with a Cartier bracelet worth about 15 million won and a Tiffany brooch valued at over 20 million won, sparking controversy over the omission of these items from her asset disclosure. During the special prosecutor's investigation, Kim explained, "I purchased a counterfeit version for about 2 million won in Hong Kong in 2010." However, it was later revealed that the product in question was released in November 2015, raising suspicions that her explanation was false.

The 'Snowflake Pendant' from Van Cleef & Arpels, which Kim is said to have worn, is a high-end luxury item featuring a diamond design inspired by snowflakes. The small size retails for about 62 million won, while the large size costs up to 100 million won.

Recently, a similar product appeared in Coupang's overseas direct purchase section under the name "Snowflake Drop Kim Keonhee Necklace Silver S925 White Gold Plated." The price is 63,550 won, which is about one-thousandth of the official price (approximately 62 million won). The product description includes the phrase "the trending Kim Keonhee necklace," and the photos show a snowflake-shaped design similar to the original.

Sold as Overseas Shipment and Consignment Sales... No Verification Process

A counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels necklace priced in the 60,000 KRW range is being sold under the name "Kim Gunhee Necklace" in Coupang's overseas direct purchase section. Screenshot from Coupang

On August 13, a necklace with the same design was also being sold on Naver Shopping under the name "Snowflake Drop Kim Keonhee Necklace Silver S925 White Gold Plated" for 63,200 won. The seller promoted it as "the trending Kim Keonhee necklace" and noted, "This product is made of Silver S925, so please consider this when purchasing." The country of manufacture and the seller's business address are listed as China and Germany, among others. These items are registered as overseas shipments or consignment sales, and are sold without any verification process.

There have also been cases where domestically produced 14K and 18K versions are marketed as "Kim Keonhee Necklace" or "First Lady Necklace," selling for between 770,000 and 1.33 million won. Some product descriptions include photos of Kim wearing the necklace during her overseas trip, with captions such as "This necklace became even more popular after being worn on the trip to Spain." Currently, most related products have been removed from major platforms.

A counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels necklace priced in the 60,000 won range is being sold under the name "Kim Gunhee necklace" on Naver Shopping. Screenshot from Naver Store

This is not the first time Kim Keonhee’s name has been used for commercial purposes. Numerous products, such as "Kim Keonhee Shoes," "Kim Keonhee Tweed Jacket," and "Kim Keonhee Bag," have been promoted in the same way. The problem is that such practices can lead to exaggerated advertising or intentional intellectual property infringement. Although the original designer can file a lawsuit against counterfeit sellers, it is reported that actual punishment is rare.