{
  "id": 12566263,
  "title": "South Korea launches ‘K-brand’ scheme to fight counterfeits",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/south-korea-launches-k-brand-scheme-to-fight-counterfeits",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T06:23:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/07/south-korea-launches-k-brand-scheme-to-fight-counterfeits"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea has introduced a new \"K-brand\" authentication system to combat counterfeit goods and protect its burgeoning cultural industry. President Lee Jae Myung announced the system, which enables consumers to verify product authenticity via a QR code, following the success of K-pop, K-dramas, and K-beauty products. These Korean cultural exports generated $14.9 billion in revenue in 2023, surpassing computer and appliance sales. K-beauty and K-food products alone reached record highs of $12.4 billion and $11.4 billion, respectively. The president emphasized that Korean companies are facing growing damage from counterfeit products overseas. Thirty-one companies, including food producer Samyang Foods and cosmetics giant Amorepacific, have already signed up for the K-Brand Government Certification System. The system aims to safeguard Korean brands and enhance the country's tourism, which saw a record 18.94 million foreign visitors in 2023.",
  "summary": "The K-Brand Government Certification System lets consumers check product authenticity by scanning a QR code with their mobile phones.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "South Korea launches ‘K-brand’ scheme to fight counterfeits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/south-korea-launches-k-brand-scheme-to-fight-counterfeits-12568622",
        "published": "2026-10-07T06:23:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "South Korea launches 'K-brand' scheme to fight counterfeits",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/south-korea-launches-k-brand-scheme-to-fight-counterfeits-12569430",
        "published": "2026-10-07T06:41:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Is your K-beauty or K-food real? South Korea’s new QR system will tell you",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/is-your-k-beauty-or-k-food-real-south-koreas-new-qr-system-will-tell",
        "published": "2026-10-07T06:52:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "South Korea signals military exemption cuts for athletes after Asian Games backlash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/south-korea-signals-military-exemption-cuts-for-athletes-after-asian",
        "published": "2026-10-07T07:07:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}