Director-general-level officials from the customs authorities of South Korea and China recently met to discuss concrete measures to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, according to Seoul’s customs office.

The meeting, held at a Korea Customs Service (KCS) office on Jeju Island, followed the signing of a memorandum of understanding in January aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation on IP protection. The agreement was reached on the sidelines of a summit between Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During the meeting, both sides shared information on last year’s crackdowns on counterfeit goods and outlined plans to deepen cooperation on IP protection through 2027. In particular, they agreed to regularly exchange information on enforcement actions against counterfeit goods at the customs clearance stage and to appoint dedicated liaison officers to facilitate the swift sharing of information on potential IP infringements, the KCS added.

The two countries also agreed to institutionalize the director-general-level meeting as an annual event, with the next round to take place in China.

- Excel V. Dyquiangco