Myeong-dong street vendors face crackdown for fake goods

Seoul’s central Jung-gu district announced Monday that it will crackdown on street vendors selling fake goods in the popular shopping district of Myeong-dong.

The district said inspections will start July 16 jointly with the Korea Intellectual Property Office. It will notify and warn street vendors of the enforced measure against the selling of fake goods until July 15.

The targets of the clampdown are 234 street vendors located in the main and surrounding streets. About 70 vendors that sell clothing and 132 that sell accessories and other carts that sell miscellaneous goods will be inspected.

The district will cooperate with inspectors of the intellectual property office as some street vendors may go into hiding to avoid the crackdown.

“Selling fake goods at a global tourism attraction damages the image of Korea. The district will make the utmost effort to eradicate the selling of such goods and reorganize the vendors into something like an enterprise so that tourists can shop with an easy mind,” said Choi Chang-sik, the district head. <The Korea Times/Yun Suh-young>

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