As the popularity of K-convenience stores and K-food soars, counterfeit food and beverage products are proliferating around the world.

In countries such as China, Japan and across Southeast Asia, fake versions of popular Korean convenience store items are openly being sold.

According to sources from the retail industry on Monday, “PEACEMINUSONE Highball,” a collaboration between Korean convenience store chain CU and singer G-Dragon’s fashion brand PEACEMINUSONE, is being illegally copied and distributed in China.

The drink, which became CU’s top-selling highball product when it was released in April 2025, has sold over 6 million cans.

Yogurt jelly, a bestseller among foreign customers at Korea Seven Co.’s corner store chain 7-Eleven, is also being replicated in China, with knockoff versions being distributed locally.

Since its launch in 2016, yogurt jelly has sold 35 million units and remains a steady seller for 7-Eleven.

The design trademark of Honey Butter Popcorn was also found to have been misused in products sold in China.

“When influencers or tourists visiting Korea post about products on TikTok, YouTube, or other social media platforms, copycat versions start appearing in other countries,” an industry insider said. “While this shows the popularity of K-convenience stores and K-food, we are monitoring these cases closely due to potential trademark and copyright infringements.”

Some offline retailers have also emerged abroad that sell K-food under altered or directly copied names of Korean convenience stores and food brands.

A notable example is in Japan, where imitations of CU and GS25 storefronts have been spotted under the names BU and BS25, with similar signage and layouts.

“We have taken legal action against similar cases in China,” a GS25 official said. “We are currently monitoring the situation in Japan.”

There are also numerous cases where Chinese or Taiwanese resellers purchase large quantities of popular CU items and resell them at inflated prices abroad.

A good example is CU’s “Han-Son-Han-Kki,” a single-serving protein shake product in a convenient pouch, which was launched in June 2024.

It is especially popular among Chinese and Taiwanese consumers and is reportedly being sold overseas at more than double the domestic price.

“At locations frequently visited by foreigners - such as the Myeong-dong Station branch, Hongdae’s Sang-sang branch, and Incheon International Airport - products are wiped from shelves as soon as they are stocked,” a CU official said. “These are then resold overseas through social media and online shopping malls at higher prices.”

Korean liquor companies such as HiteJinro Co. and Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. are also struggling with counterfeit alcoholic products that are being illegally distributed abroad.

Some supermarkets and convenience stores in Hanoi, Vietnam, are openly selling green 360ml bottles of soju with Korean labels such as “Gunbae” and “Seonmul” printed on them.

Korean confectionery company Orion Corp. has also faced challenges due to copycat products sold in China and elsewhere.

In one instance, Chinese customs discovered not only products mimicking Orion’s goods but counterfeit packaging using the Orion brand name as well, which led to the goods being discarded.

Cases suspected of unauthorized registration or misuse of Korean brands overseas are rapidly increasing.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the number of suspected cases rose sharply from around 1,000 in 2017 to 1,666 in 2018, 4,522 in 2020, 4,654 in 2022, 5,015 in 2023, and then surged to 9,249 cases in 2024.

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