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While China continues its economic retaliation against South Korean companies following the deployment of THAAD, that hasn’t stopped it from ripping off South Korean products, according to government documents.

Documents that Kang Chang-il, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party and a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, received from the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Oct. 23 show that there have been 1,638 cases of South Korean products and brands being copied or plagiarized in China and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) between 2014 and Aug. 2017. It turns out that this trademark piracy has gotten even worse since the THAAD deployment, with the number of cases through Aug. 2017 nearly equaling the total number of cases last year (406). It has gotten to the point where China is overtly ripping off South Korean brands such as Kimbap Cheonguk (Kimbap Heaven, which is the most popular kimbap franchise in the country), Seolbing (a dessert café) and Nature Republic (a cosmetics brand).

After a ban on importing South Korean cultural products took effect in July 2016, Chinese broadcasters have reportedly been churning out entertainment programs that duplicate exactly the format of 29 programs by South Korean broadcasters, including Infinite Challenge, Produce 101, Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, Fantastic Duo, and Immortal Song. Since South Korean culture remains popular in China despite the ban on imports, Chinese broadcasters have resorted to plagiarizing the format in their programs.

“Our embassy to China needs to protect the intellectual property rights, trademarks and copyrights of South Korean companies through ongoing deliberation with related government agencies and to continue raising these issues with China as well,” Kang said.

By Kim Tae-kyu, staff reporter

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