South Korea and Japan launch joint crackdown on fake goods and drug smuggling

At a high-level customs summit in Tokyo on Oct. 29, Lee Jong-wook of the Korea Customs Service will launch a diplomatic drive to curb the surge of counterfeit Korean cosmetics, fashion and K-pop merchandise abroad. He intends to request that Japanese customs streamline the application process for Korean firms to register their trademarks, allowing customs officers to block fakes before they enter markets. In parallel, Seoul and Tokyo will deepen intelligence sharing on drug-trafficking patterns to intercept narcotics moving through their borders.

The move follows earlier customs assistance pacts signed with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mexico, and aims to expand similar enforcement agreements with partners in Europe, Thailand, Vietnam, China and the United States. Lee stressed that ongoing working-level consultations are essential to turn these talks into concrete enforcement outcomes. The coordinated approach seeks to protect Korean exporters and reduce the flow of illegal drugs into both countries.