Over 7,000 fake Labubu items seized in Korea in two months
Rose of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK holds a Labubu doll in this Instagram post. Captured from her Instagram
More than 7,000 counterfeit items featuring the popular Chinese character Labubu have been seized by Korean customs authorities in the past two months, as the doll gains global popularity and increasing demand among fans and collectors.
According to the Korea Customs Service on Wednesday, the confiscated goods, flagged during customs clearance, included not only plush toys but also figures, keychains and smartphone cases.
Many of the fake products closely resembled official merchandise, making it difficult for average consumers to distinguish them from the real ones.
Most of the counterfeit Labubu products were sold for less than 10,000 won ($8) through online marketplaces based in China.
Labubu has recently emerged as a coveted and trendy item, especially after celebrities at home and abroad posted photos of the character on social media. Due to high demand and limited supply, genuine products are frequently resold at marked-up prices, fueling the proliferation of counterfeits.
Counterfeit Labubu merchandise recently seized during customs inspections / Courtesy of Korea Customs Service
“To protect consumers, we plan to strengthen customs inspections for counterfeit Labubu items,” a Korea Customs Service official said. “Products sold at unusually low prices from unofficial retailers are likely to be fakes. Buyers should always check the reliability of the seller and the price before making a purchase.”
Originally designed in 2015 by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, Labubu was commercialized in 2019 after Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart obtained exclusive licensing rights.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.