Seoul’s Jung-gu to inspect 153 Dongdaemun vendors for counterfeits, violations
In short
Seoul’s Jung-gu district will conduct intensive inspections of 153 street vendors in the Dongdaemun Special Tourist Zone for selling counterfeit goods and encroaching on pedestrian walkways. After a campaign for voluntary compliance, the district plans to start crackdowns in November. Last month, a joint team confiscated 533 counterfeit items worth about 650 million won from 10 yellow tents and booked one seller without detention.
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Seoul’s Jung-gu district announced on Oct. 6 that it will conduct intensive inspections of 153 street vendors in the Dongdaemun Special Tourist Zone for violations including selling counterfeit goods and encroaching on pedestrian walkways. The district said it will first run a campaign to encourage voluntary compliance, and from November it will crack down on repeated violations. Newsis also headlined the crackdown and the confiscation of 533 counterfeit items. [ 1 , 2 ]
The Dongdaemun area has large clothing malls and street vendors. According to the district, late-night logistics lead to goods being piled on roads, and vendor tents often exceed permitted areas and encroach on walkways. The district said that at APM Place and in front of Hanyang Technical High School at Saebit Market, so-called “yellow tents” operate from 8 PM to 3 AM, selling counterfeit clothing, bags, and shoes. [ 1 ]
Since late August, the district has been guiding vendors on-site to correct violations. Last month, for two weeks, a joint investigation team—comprising the district, the Intellectual Property Office, the Seoul Metropolitan Police’s Public Livelihood Judicial Police, and the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency—conducted unannounced nighttime crackdowns. The team confiscated 533 counterfeit items, including clothing and bags, with a genuine product value of about 650 million won, from 10 yellow tents, and booked one seller without detention on charges of trademark law violation. [ 1 ]
This month, the district will continue on-site campaigns and guidance. From November, it will begin intensive crackdowns. At Saebit Market, tents that do not display permits will be treated as unauthorized road occupation and cleaned up, the district said. District mayor Kim Gil-sung said, “We will continue to communicate with merchants to lead voluntary cleanup, and manage repeated violations according to principles to create a street that anyone can comfortably visit.” [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The crackdown targets a major tourist and shopping area in Seoul, where counterfeit sales and street vendor violations have been persistent. It signals stricter enforcement of intellectual property and street occupation rules, which could affect local merchants and the district’s management. The action is local, with limited direct impact outside South Korea.
Key facts
- Seoul’s Jung-gu district will conduct intensive inspections of 153 street vendors in the Dongdaemun Special Tourist Zone for violations including selling counterfeit goods and encroaching on pedestrian walkways. [ 1 ]
- The district will first run a campaign to encourage voluntary compliance, then start crackdowns on repeated violations from November. [ 1 ]
- The district said that from 8 PM to 3 AM, so-called “yellow tents” at APM Place and Saebit Market near Hanyang Technical High School sell counterfeit clothing, bags, and shoes. [ 1 ]
- Last month, a joint investigation team confiscated 533 counterfeit items worth about 650 million won from 10 yellow tents. [ 1 , 2 ]
- One seller was booked without detention on charges of trademark law violation. [ 1 ]
- Starting this month, the district will continue campaigns and guidance; from November, it will conduct intensive crackdowns, including cleaning up tents without permits at Saebit Market. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Last month, authorities confiscated 533 counterfeit items from 10 yellow tents in the Dongdaemun area. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Seoul’s Jung-gu district is conducting a crackdown on street vendors in the Dongdaemun area over counterfeit sales and other violations. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The crackdown targets the Saebit Market area. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The Newsis report’s article body does not discuss the crackdown; it is about an unrelated Supreme Court hearing, so the outlet’s full coverage of the event is unclear. The article text provided for Newsis does not match its headline about the crackdown.
- The exact total number of street vendors in the area beyond the 153 targeted, or whether the crackdown will continue beyond November, is not specified. The documents do not provide this information.
- The basis for the 650 million won valuation of the confiscated counterfeit goods is not explained. The documents state the figure but not how it was calculated.