The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP, led by Minister KIM Yong Sun), along with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS, led by Minister OH Yu Kyoung), and the Korea Customs Service (KCS, led by Commissioner LEE Myung Gu), announced that they held an "Joint Inter-agency Briefing to Combat Counterfeit Cosmetics" on Thursday, March 12, at Nuritkum Square (Mapo-gu, Seoul).

This briefing was organized as part of the "Plan to Strengthen the Competitiveness of K-Beauty Safety and Quality” announced at the 6th National Policy Coordination Meeting presided over by the Prime Minister on November 27, 2025. The purpose of the event was to protect the intellectual property (IP) rights of K-cosmetics*, which are gaining popularity worldwide, and to prevent harm to companies and consumers caused by the distribution of counterfeit cosmetics**.

*K-cosmetics Export Value (growth rate): ($2023$) $8.46 billion → ($2024$) $10.18 billion (+20.3%) → ($2025$) $11.43 billion (+12.3%)
** Counterfeit goods infringing on Korean companies' IP rights: Estimated at $9.7 billion (KRW 11.1 trillion), Cosmetics account for 10% ($970 million, KRW 1.1 trillion).

MOIP, MFDS, and KCS established a step-by-step response system for counterfeit cosmetics based on each agency's expertise, and each agency provided guidance on their respective policy directions and support programs.

MOIP presented cases of K-brand infringement in the cosmetics sector, explained the importance of trademark and design rights, and introduced K-brand infringement response measures, support programs, the K-Brand Protection Portal, global patent dispute trends, and MOIP support policies.

MFDS announced its post-management policy for distributed counterfeit cosmetics, which includes establishing explicit legal basis for measures such as punishing counterfeit sellers and ordering product recalls and disposal. It also stated that a "Counterfeit Cosmetics Reporting Center” will be established and operated within the Korea Cosmetic Association to allow industry stakeholders to report confirmed cases of counterfeit cosmetics distribution.


KCS provided guidance for K-beauty companies to register their IP, such as trademarks, with customs authorities in major export destinations. It also announced plans to establish a joint enforcement network using its global network with overseas enforcement agencies to prevent counterfeit K-brand cosmetics from being manufactured, distributed, exported, or imported in overseas markets.

MOIP emphasized, "Protecting K-brands goes beyond simply securing rights; it is directly linked to the overseas expansion and competitiveness of K-beauty companies. Moving forward, we will further strengthen company-customized support and local responses alongside the MFDS and KCS to enhance the status of K-beauty in the global market.”

MFDS emphasized, "Counterfeit cosmetics are illegal products that cannot guarantee quality or safety, threatening consumer safety while undermining the achievements that K-cosmetic companies have built. We will do our best to ensure that consumers worldwide can safely enjoy the true value of K-cosmetics, which offer excellent quality and strong competitiveness.”

KCS emphasized, "To ensure sustainable global market competitiveness, we will implement the GLOW-K* export support initiative and strengthen cooperation with overseas customs authorities to crack down on counterfeit K-brand goods, preventing them from being distributed overseas as well as entering the domestic market.”

*GLOW-K: Globalization, Local Fit, Online Export, Widening Channel, K-Brand Protection

MOIP, MFDS, and KCS will continue to do their best to protect the brand value and reliability of K-cosmetics and support export competitiveness through a public-private cooperative system for responding to counterfeit cosmetics.

Source：Ministry of Intellectual Property Public Relations > News