# Incheon Customs counterfeit goods seizures

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/incheon-customs-counterfeit-goods-seizures
> Updated: 2026-08-31T00:55:22.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

Incheon Customs reported a significant increase in the seizure of counterfeit dolls and keyrings during the first half of the year. These items accounted for 106,000 units, or 77.9% of all intellectual property infringement items seized between January and June.

This surge in character goods contrasts with a decline in other categories, such as counterfeit clothing and bags. Authorities suggest the rise is driven by the ‘baek-kku’ trend among younger people and high demand for prizes in unmanned stores and claw machine arcades. While the number of seizure cases is relatively low, the volume per incident is high, averaging approximately 11,000 units.

## Claims

- Four individuals were referred to the prosecution for violating the Customs Act and Foreign Trade Act. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The group illegally exported 1,024 used cars with engines exceeding 2,000cc to sanctioned countries. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The group received 279.6 billion won in export payments using virtual assets like Tether (USDT). (corroborated by 4 sources)
- A fine of 11 billion won was imposed for violations of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The group used dual sets of shipping documents to hide the actual destination from customs. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The value of the illegally exported cars was approximately 50.7 billion won. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- As of late July, violations related to trade security breaches totaled 1.3432 trillion won. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The sanctioned destinations included Russia and Belarus. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-31: Incheon Customs cracks down on illegal used car exports to sanctioned nations

Incheon Customs referred four people to prosecutors for illegally exporting 1,024 used cars to sanctioned countries and laundering 279.6 billion won in payments via virtual assets.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/incheon-customs-cracks-down-on-illegal-used-car-exports-to-sanctioned-nations

### 2026-08-26: Incheon Customs seizes 106,000 counterfeit dolls and keyrings

Incheon Customs seized 106,000 counterfeit dolls and keyrings in the first half of the year, driven by trends like bag decorating and claw machine popularity.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/incheon-customs-seizes-106000-counterfeit-dolls-and-keyrings

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Cite as: Incheon Customs counterfeit goods seizures. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/incheon-customs-counterfeit-goods-seizures