December 08, 2025
Thought It Was Just a Hobby… MOIP Cracks Down on New “Counterfeit DIY Kit” Crime Scheme
-Ring distributing luxury-brand bag/wallet assembly kits busted through a targeted investigation by the Trademark Police Division -
-Over 21,000 pieces of counterfeit fabric, components, and manuals seized; three individuals indicted without detention -
The Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP) announced on the 27th that its Trademark Police Division had uncovered an organized group that manufactured and distributed “counterfeit luxury-brand DIY assembly kits”—kits that enable consumers to self-assemble fake designer bags and wallets. Three suspects, including Ms. A (female, 50), were indicted without detention on charges of violating the Trademark Act.
This case marks a new criminal tactic in which counterfeit goods are distributed not as finished products but as “assembly kits” to evade enforcement. The Trademark Police Division recognized that this hobby-like format could fuel the spread of counterfeits and therefore launched a targeted investigation.
<Trademark Police Seize Over 20,000 Items Including Counterfeit Fabric, Components, and DIY Kits>
According to the Trademark Police Division, Ms. A and Ms. B of workshop “G,” located in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, are suspected of storing and managing counterfeit fabric and components and producing and selling “assembly kits” from 2021 to June 2025. They restricted online community membership to adult women and operated their platform to allow buyers to share production methods—functioning as an online/offline distribution hub.
Mr. C from metal accessories company “N” in Jongno, Seoul, supplied counterfeit hardware designed to match luxury bag specifications to workshop “G.”
In June 2025, the Trademark Police Division seized more than 21,000 items, including assembly kits, counterfeit fabric, molds, and metal components. The patterns and motifs displayed on the fabric and materials in the suspects’ possession are protected under trademark rights; therefore, producing and selling them with intent to infringe constitutes a clear violation of the Trademark Act.
<Sophisticated Scheme Luring Consumers as “Accomplices”; Blocking Counterfeits at the Production Stage>
The investigation revealed that the suspects disguised the assembly kits as a “legal hobby activity,” enticing consumers into the production process of counterfeit goods. The Trademark Police Division preemptively blocked the possibility of unsuspecting consumers becoming involved in illegal resale or distribution.
The investigation confirmed linkages among online communities, workshops, metal parts suppliers, and upstream distributors. The 80 assembled counterfeit items seized were equivalent to approximately 760 million KRW in retail value, and the 600 assembly kits could have generated roughly 2 billion KRW if converted into finished products.
Notably, instruction manuals included sewing sequences, cutting dimensions, and even sourcing information for counterfeit components, allowing consumers to assemble the products with ease. The Trademark Police Division determined that if such practices spread, they could distort normal consumer perceptions and significantly lower the barrier to producing counterfeit goods—necessitating an early and decisive response.
<MOIP’s Trademark Police Intensify Crackdown on Emerging Counterfeit Methods>
This is the first domestic case in which a consumer-assembled counterfeit kit (rather than finished counterfeit goods) has been formally detected, demonstrating the increasing sophistication and evolution of counterfeiting schemes. Such methods pose serious risks by making counterfeit production accessible to ordinary consumers, encouraging illicit trading, and distorting market perception.
Shin Sang-gon, Director General of the Intellectual Property Protection & International Cooperation Bureau at MOIP, stated,“Assembly kits—sold at low prices and paired with online tutorials—pose a significant risk of accelerating the spread of counterfeit goods. We will strengthen enforcement from the production stage through distribution and sales networks to respond swiftly to these evolving criminal tactics.”