Chinese companies are blatantly imitating K-food products and called for the government to formulate countermeasures. (Image courtesy of Korea Food Industry Association)
SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – A South Korean politician urged the government on Tuesday to urgently devise measures to prevent Chinese companies from releasing imitated versions of K-foods, as some Chinese companies imitate not only the brand name and packaging but also use the Korean language on their products.
Lee Yang-soo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party and a member of the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, Marine, and Fisheries Committee, emphasized in a press release that Chinese companies are blatantly imitating K-food products and called for the government to formulate countermeasures.
Lee stated, “There have been numerous cases where Chinese companies imitated the brands and product names of Korean companies in the past. However, in recent days, the instances where Chinese companies use the Korean language to confuse consumers have been on the rise. A prime example is a Chinese brand selling products under the brand name ‘Sanai.’”
This company operates as a Chinese distributor of a major Korean food company and engages in the sale and distribution of counterfeit Korean foods both online and offline by replicating product designs.
The imitated products can be mistaken for Korean products, given that the brand name ‘Sanai’ and product names such as ‘Buldak Bokkeum Myeon,’ ‘Hayan Seoltang,’ and ‘Mat Sogeum’ are written in Korean script.
In the case of ‘Buldak Bokkeum Myeon,’ even the imagery of a chicken spitting fire on the product packaging is strikingly similar.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
