THE WHAT? The South Korean government is strengthening international protections for K-beauty brands with a new state-backed trademark authentication system designed to combat the growing circulation of counterfeit cosmetics worldwide.
THE DETAILS From October, government-certified trademarks will be registered across more than 70 countries and markets, including Europe, China and ASEAN, creating a framework for Korean authorities to seek investigations, administrative searches and customs interventions when counterfeit certified products are identified. The initiative will complement AI-powered monitoring of global e-commerce platforms, where authorities removed more than 36,000 counterfeit beauty products in 2025 and a further 20,000 during the first half of 2026. Korea has also expanded formal cooperation with e-commerce platforms from six to nine, including TikTok Shop, Temu and Tokopedia, while overseas intellectual property centres and diplomatic channels will support cross-border enforcement.
THE WHY? The measures reflect the growing commercial importance of brand and intellectual property protection as K-beauty expands internationally. Counterfeit cosmetics can undermine consumer confidence, brand equity and product safety, making coordinated enforcement increasingly important for Korean beauty companies scaling across global digital marketplaces.
Source:The Korea Times
