A ring that manufactured and sold counterfeit versions of famous products—such as Beauty of Joseon, SK-II, and Korea Eundan Multi-Vitamin—from China as genuine items on domestic online shopping malls has been caught.

The number of counterfeit products already sold reached approximately 83,000, amounting to 4.5 billion won based on retail prices of genuine items.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korean Intellectual Property Office forwarded a broker, identified as A, to the prosecution for illegally distributing counterfeit cosmetics and health supplements originating from China.

The investigation began after receiving information that products suspected of differing from genuine items were being distributed on online open markets such as Coupang and Naver.

According to the investigation, broker A conspired with a manufacturer in Shenzhen, China, to sell 61 types of counterfeit products, including cosmetics and health supplements, as genuine items on domestic online open markets from October 2024 to November 2025.

Domestic logistics warehouses were even mobilized in the distribution process.

When the Chinese manufacturer sent the counterfeit goods via international express or overseas courier, broker A stored them in a logistics warehouse in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, and shipped them out to buyers nationwide whenever online orders were placed.

Counterfeit goods distributed through this method totaled about 83,000 items, worth 4.5 billion won.

Additionally, 87 types of unsold counterfeit products worth 1.3 billion won were discovered in the warehouse and entirely seized.

The counterfeit products varied widely, ranging from domestic cosmetics such as Beauty of Joseon, Kahi, and Celladerm to famous overseas cosmetics like Estee Lauder and SK-II.

Health functional foods such as Korea Eundan vitamins and probiotics were also included, along with Brita water purifier filters, Nike sneakers, Birkenstock slippers, and golf equipment.

Some products even had their country of origin falsified.

Broker A was investigated for participating in removing the "Made in China" label from counterfeit Brita filters and replacing it with "Made in Germany."

Differences were confirmed when compared to genuine products in packaging materials, print content, container shape and size, as well as product formulation and color.

The bigger problem was the contents inside.

As a result of precision tests conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on 12 types of functional cosmetics and health functional foods seized, functional ingredients and indicator substances listed on the products were not detected at all.

Authorities urged consumers to check whether online purchases of famous products are from official sellers certified by the brand or manufacturer, and to verify through genuine manufacturers or sellers if counterfeiting is suspected.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Yonghee Jung | Graphics by Yang Hae-min | Produced by SBS Digital News