A broker has been caught after smuggling large quantities of Chinese counterfeit cosmetics and health functional foods into South Korea and selling them as authentic products on online open markets.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, an individual identified as A conspired with a manufacturer in Shenzhen, China, to sell 4.5 billion won worth of 61 types of counterfeit goods from October 2024 to November of last year.

It was found that 87 types of illegal counterfeit products were stored in a logistics warehouse located in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, operated by A.

The total market value of these products amounted to 1.3 billion won.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety explained that the products stored in the warehouse differed from authentic items in packaging materials, descriptions, container shapes, and sizes.

The number of counterfeit products smuggled into the country by A totaled 100,984.

In addition to cosmetics and health functional foods, the illegally imported goods by A varied widely, including toothpaste, water purifier filters, shoes, and golf bags.


The cosmetics were disguised and sold as 28 well-known brands such as Celladix, Kahi, Beauty of Joseon, Estee Lauder, and Lancome, while the fake health functional foods were sold under brands like Korea Eundan and Denps.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that inspections of the cosmetics and health functional foods seized from A's warehouse revealed that functional ingredients and marker substances were not detected at all.

(Photo: Provided by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Yonhap News)