Korea Builds Overseas IP Safety Net for Small K-Brand Exporters

South Korea is creating a coordinated support system to protect small and medium-sized K-brand exporters from counterfeits, unauthorized trademark registrations and design infringement in overseas markets.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korean Intellectual Property Office said Friday that they would launch a joint council bringing together the two agencies with the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency and the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency. The council held its first meeting at Government Complex Daejeon.

The initiative is intended to connect two functions that exporters often need at the same time: assistance entering foreign markets and help defending intellectual property. Under the plan, agencies will share infringement cases and coordinate responses through their overseas networks rather than requiring affected companies to navigate separate support channels.

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency operates 22 Global Business Centers in 14 countries. The Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency runs 10 overseas intellectual property centers that support companies in 40 countries. Officials plan to use those networks to exchange information and respond to trademark squatting, counterfeit sales and other forms of infringement.

Export support programs will also be linked with intellectual property services. That means small businesses receiving help with overseas expansion could gain access to preventive advice and dispute-response assistance before brand abuse becomes a larger commercial problem. The participating agencies also plan joint education programs and briefings, while the two support agencies are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding.

The policy reflects growing concern that the overseas popularity of Korean beauty, food and fashion products has also created opportunities for imitators. Authorities cited counterfeit versions of popular Korean cosmetics on major online marketplaces and unauthorized trademark claims involving successful food exports as examples of the risks facing smaller brands.

For small companies, such disputes can be especially damaging because enforcement in another country requires local knowledge, monitoring capacity and legal resources. Counterfeits can divert sales, confuse consumers and weaken confidence in an authentic brand, while trademark squatting can obstruct a company's entry into a market.

Shim Jae-yoon, the ministry's director general for global growth policy, said imitation of K-brands threatens not only revenue but also companies' survival and reputations. Park Jin-hwan, director general for intellectual property dispute response at the protection agency, said preventive support is central to keeping brands from being unexpectedly harmed as they expand abroad.

The new council's effectiveness will depend on how quickly shared information produces practical action in foreign markets. Its immediate significance for exporters is the creation of a more unified route from market-entry support to intellectual property protection.