Dram Man

To protect its international image the nation should "transition from the consumer's haven for highly sophisticated counterfeit goods to a country that has the strongest regulatory and statutory framework against IPR violators...," the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea said in a report.

There is "compelling evidence" that, as in other countries, there are links between small and medium-size counterfeit shops and gangs involved in money-laundering and drug trafficking, the chamber said.