Counterfeit K-exports surge

[Anchor]

Among agricultural products in our country, tobacco ranks second in exports.

Korean tobacco exports surpassed 1 trillion won last year.

Taking advantage of this popularity, counterfeit products are also increasing overseas.

This is reporter Lee Soo-yeon.

[Report]

Essse, which holds the number one global market share in the ultra-slim cigarette market.

These are counterfeit products detected in various places around the world, including Kazakhstan and Cambodia.

There are products with Indian smoking warning symbols, which are fakes made by impersonating KT&G's Indian subsidiary before Korean tobacco officially entered the market.

Vendors selling counterfeit Korean tobacco in Asia and Latin America have been caught by local police one after another.

In the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Kazakhstan, methods to identify fakes using QR codes are also being promoted.

[Kim Young-hoon/KT&G Intellectual Property Department Head: "There can be many cases where wholesalers, retailers, and consumers with loyalty may drift away. To prevent that, we are focusing on inspections centered around manufacturing plants...."]

Counterfeiting of high-end products like Korean ginseng also continues overseas.

The red ginseng inside the box is uneven in size compared to genuine products.

To prevent fake Korean ginseng, there are over 9,000 registered intellectual property rights overseas.

The packaging that wraps the root ginseng includes security features used on banknotes.

If someone tries to copy it, a message indicating it is a copy will appear.

[Ham Chang-sik/Korea Ginseng Corporation Overseas Business Director: "(Counterfeit) prevention technology allows us to distinguish our products from fake ones. It can be actively utilized when sanctioning the relevant companies and taking legal action."]

With the rising trend of K agricultural products, the number of counterfeit products is increasing.

The government has also decided to strengthen its response to counterfeits.

This is KBS News, Lee Soo-yeon.