South Korea coordinates overseas IP support for K-beauty brands
22 October 2026
South Korea has launched a joint government initiative to protect small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including Korean beauty brands, from overseas counterfeiting, trademark squatting and other intellectual property infringements as they expand into international markets.
The initiative brings together the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Intellectual Property (MOIP), formerly the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, and the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency through a joint council tasked with sharing infringement cases and coordinating support for affected businesses.
The programme will draw on 22 Global Business Centres across 14 countries and 10 overseas intellectual property centres serving businesses in 40 countries. It will also integrate IP protection and dispute-response services into existing export assistance programmes, giving SMEs access to support as they enter foreign markets and address potential infringements.
The move comes amid concerns over counterfeit K-beauty products circulating on international ecommerce platforms, including Amazon and TikTok Shop. Among the reported cases are imitation versions of Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics sunscreen, highlighting the challenges faced by Korean brands in protecting their products and reputations beyond their domestic market.
For smaller beauty companies, counterfeiting and unauthorized trademark registrations can undermine brand recognition, erode consumer trust and create additional costs associated with enforcement and cross-border disputes. Trademark squatting can also complicate market entry when third parties register a brand’s name in a foreign jurisdiction before the legitimate owner secures protection there.
By coordinating export promotion with IP protection, South Korea aims to strengthen the support available to businesses navigating overseas markets. The initiative underscores the importance of securing and enforcing IP rights as K-beauty brands expand globally, particularly for SMEs that may lack the resources and legal expertise to respond independently to infringement cases in multiple jurisdictions.
- Asia IP
