South Korea's Ministry of Intellectual Property announced on October 11, 2026 that it will launch joint public-private online counterfeit monitoring with private-sector partners before the end of the year, focusing on cosmetics and health supplements in October and expanding the scope to clothing, fashion accessories and footwear brands starting next month. Data shows that from 2021 to August 2026, South Korean authorities investigated or blocked a total of 1,512,799 online posts selling counterfeit goods, of which Instagram accounted for about 448,000, the highest, followed by Naver Cafe with about 268,000 and Naver Band with about 220,000; bags and clothing accounted for 57.5% of all posts, more than half.

Key Points

  • South Korea's Ministry of Intellectual Property announced on October 11 a public-private joint online counterfeit monitoring effort to be launched before the end of the year, expanding to clothing accessories and footwear next month
  • From 2021 to August 2026, a total of 1,512,799 counterfeit posts were investigated or blocked, with Instagram topping the list at about 448,000 and bags and clothing accounting for 57.5%
  • Korea Consumer Agency data: from December 2024 to February 2025, there were 106 consumer inquiries about overseas shopping websites involving counterfeit outdoor brands, with The North Face accounting for the most at 53

Patagonia Korea warned consumers through official channels this month that multiple cases of counterfeit sales have been confirmed, noting that buying fakes not only causes financial loss but also means consumers cannot enjoy genuine quality guarantees and repair services, and advising consumers to verify authenticity and official retail channels before purchasing. The brand has also recently taken legal action overseas: in June 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered a company that distributed about 6,140 counterfeit versions of its iconic Down Sweater to pay a total of $300,000 in damages and stop selling. The counterfeit distribution was exposed after a consumer, dissatisfied with the fit and quality, applied to the headquarters for a return, during which the product was found to be fake; the investigation also found that some fakes returned to distributors due to quality issues were sent back to overseas manufacturers and then resold to another distributor.

In Europe, doubts about counterfeit distribution through second-hand trading platforms are also rising. Reports questioning the authenticity of Patagonia fleece jackets and jackets traded on Vinted have increased in the UK and elsewhere, and Patagonia's European official website also warns that cases of online counterfeit sales using genuine photos and product descriptions occur frequently.

In South Korea, consumers continue to question the authenticity of Patagonia products sold on second-hand trading platforms such as Karms (Danggeun Market), with some pointing out that the logos, labels and materials of some products do not match genuine ones, or that prices are unreasonably low, involving categories ranging from bags and pants to hats. Instagram, Naver Cafe and Naver Band have also been listed as major counterfeit distribution channels on social media.

Other outdoor brands are also responding. Arc'teryx warns on its official website that some counterfeits are so well made that expert analysis is required, naming jackets such as Gamma, Cerium and Thorium as items to watch, and has opened a dedicated channel for consumers to report suspicious products. Some consumers have also suffered losses on overseas shopping websites that completely impersonate brands: some websites copy the brand logos, product photos and corporate information of The North Face, Discovery and Kolon Sport, posing as official websites and attracting traffic on social media with discounts of up to more than 90%, yet consumers who pay receive no order information and get no response to cancellation or refund requests. Data released by the Korea Consumer Agency last year showed that from December 2024 to February 2025, there were 106 consumer inquiries about overseas shopping websites involving counterfeit outdoor brands, with The North Face accounting for the most at 53 by brand, followed by Descente with 20, Discovery with 17 and Kolon Sport with 16.

For the used clothing and second-hand resale industry, this round of counterfeit crackdowns means increased pressure on platforms to verify brand authenticity: second-hand trading platforms are both channels through which counterfeits flow out and are becoming key targets of brand enforcement and regulatory scrutiny, and resellers need to verify sources and authenticity more carefully when buying and selling outdoor brand items.

Source: Patagonia, Arc’teryx battle counterfeits as South Korea tightens crackdowns · Originally published 2026-10-13