Is your K-beauty or K-food real? South Korea’s new QR system will tell you

Seoul has introduced a new "K-Brand Government Certification System" to authenticate K-pop, K-food, and K-beauty products, as the country's cultural wave, known as "Hallyu," continues to expand globally. President Lee Jae Myung announced the initiative, which will enable consumers to verify product authenticity by scanning a QR code with their mobile phones.

The Hallyu phenomenon, fueled by K-pop acts like BTS, the Netflix hit Squid Game, and KPop Demon Hunters, has resulted in a record-breaking US$14.9 billion in content exports last year, surpassing the overseas sales of computers and home appliances. K-food and K-beauty exports also hit record highs, amounting to US$12.4 billion and US$11.4 billion, respectively.

While the growth of these K-brands has made them part of everyday life for people worldwide, they also face a surge in counterfeit products overseas. Seoul's government plans to swiftly address this issue, stating that they will no longer leave companies to combat counterfeit products alone. Currently, 31 companies, including Samyang Foods and Amorepacific, have signed up for the certification scheme.

According to OECD data from 2024, the global market for counterfeit "K-brand" products was estimated at approximately 11 trillion won. The surge in popularity of Korean cultural exports has also led to an all-time high of 18.94 million foreign tourists visiting the country last year.