AI Helps Produce Hard-to-Spot Fake K-Beauty Products, Government Moves to Certify Brands
Creatrip Team
24 days ago
Fake Korean cosmetics have surged globally, with detected cases rising from 16,774 in 2023 to 36,116 last year. Counterfeiters now use AI to closely replicate packaging, signature color palettes, formulations and even product shapes, producing “dead copies” that are difficult to distinguish by sight. Major seizures have occurred at overseas customs, and both large and small Korean brands have been targeted. Companies are ramping up monitoring with AI-powered image tracking and QR-based authentication (QR code), but experts warn QR codes can also be copied. South Korea plans a K-brand government certification program in October to register a national certification mark across about 70 countries and request local enforcement when fakes appear. Industry voices say the program must include cost and legal support for smaller brands to be effective and call for integrated public-private efforts to curb increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting.
