Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” See Over 30,000 Counterfeits Seized Amid Safety Violations

Counterfeits exploiting the popularity of Netflix’s K-pop idol-themed animation “KPop Demon Hunters” have been detected. The Seoul Customs Office of the Customs Service reported on October 30 that distributor A, a 26-year-old man, was referred to prosecutors without detention for violating customs laws and anti-unfair competition regulations after importing large quantities of counterfeit goods for online sale. According to an investigation by Seoul Customs, A purchased bulk amounts of low-cost counterfeit items from Chinese online stores and brought them into the country via express delivery. He then lured consumers by selling these items on open-market platforms at prices significantly lower than the genuine products. For example, he sold K-Demon Hunters dolls priced at 66,000 won each for 24,500 won, which is one-third of the original price. A total of over 30,000 counterfeit items were seized, valued at 140 million won, including more than 2,000 dolls, bags, and keychains that illegally used popular characters from K-Demon Hunters. Of particular concern are violations of safety regulations regarding products intended for minors. A falsified his declaration as being for personal use to avoid the safety verification requirements under the Special Act on Children’s Product Safety when importing dolls targeted at children under 13. This is especially serious because it allows untested products, potentially containing harmful substances, to reach children and pose a direct safety threat. Seok-jin Go, director of the Seoul Customs Office, stated, “Every time our cultural content gains global popularity, there is a sharp increase in attempts to introduce counterfeit goods taking advantage of it.” He added, “Seoul Customs is making every effort to protect consumers from unsafe counterfeit products by monitoring market trends in real time and taking proactive measures.” He further emphasized that efforts to crack down on intellectual property violations related to K-pop content will be intensified going forward. If suspicious counterfeit products are discovered, reports can be made to the Customs Service’s Smuggling Reporting Center at 125.