Seoul authorities shut down counterfeit shop catering to foreign tourists
For nearly a decade, a clandestine boutique at a shopping mall in Seoul’s bustling Dongdaemun district operated with the precision of a high-end showroom and the security of a fortress. Its clientele was exclusive, composed almost entirely of foreign tourists led there by guides on established counterfeit itineraries. On Monday, authorities in Seoul said they had dismantled the operation, referring two suspects to prosecutors after a six-month undercover investigation. The raid yielded 1,649 counterfeit items with an estimated retail value of 7.2 billion won ($5.2 million) — the largest seizure in the history of the city’s Special Police Bureau for Citizens’ Livelihood and Safety. The haul included 868 bags and 128 watches, described as “mirror quality” replicas nearly indistinguishable from the luxury brands they imitated. Investigators said the suspects used foreign fashion magazines as catalogs, approaching passersby and offering the items featured on the glossy pages at a fraction of the price. The operation was shielded by sophisticated countermeasures, including more t
Apr 21, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
