A man in his 50s has been caught storing thousands of counterfeit luxury items, with an estimated authentic retail value of more than 8.8 billion won, in a basement warehouse in the Jangan-dong area of Seoul's Dongdaemun District, where he allegedly planned to sell them through YouTube live broadcasts.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Public Safety Investigation Bureau said on the 21st that it had uncovered a large volume of counterfeit luxury goods at the basement warehouse and booked the man, identified only as A, on charges of violating the Trademark Act. The case will be referred to prosecutors.
A is accused of stockpiling thousands of counterfeit items in a large warehouse and attempting to sell them nationwide through YouTube live broadcasts and other channels, using separate distributors known as "sellers." Under the Trademark Act, distributing or selling counterfeit goods, or storing them with intent to sell, carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.
A total of 7,369 counterfeit items were seized at the site, including 1,004 bags, 3,187 wallets, 752 pairs of sunglasses and 669 bottles of perfume. Their combined estimated authentic retail value was 8.89 billion won, the largest counterfeit case investigated by Seoul's special judicial police.
The city government said it will continue its investigation even after referring A to prosecutors, citing signs that counterfeit distribution is becoming more organized and operating across wider areas. Investigators plan to analyze digital records and transaction data to trace how the counterfeit goods were obtained and to identify additional suppliers.
