The amount of counterfeit items sold in the tourist hot spots in Seoul fell by half, the capital’s Junggu district said Wednesday, attributing the decline to intensified crackdown.

A total of 33,957 fake items were seized from vendors and shops located in Myeong-dong and Namdamun and Dongdaemun markets last year, the district office said. The value of the seized goods amount to 20.7 billion won ($16.8 million) based on the retail prices of the genuine versions.

The confiscated amount and value decreased by around 30,000 items and 10.6 billion won, respectively, from 2014, the officials said.

By region, 79.4 percent of the imitation goods were found in Dongdaemun, followed by Namdaemun (16.6 percent) and Myeong-dong (4.0 percent).

Over half of the fake products were being sold by vendors, and other venues included shopping arcades, inside vehicles and kiosks.

By brand, Chanel imitations were the most popular, taking up 32 percent, followed by Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Gucci and Burberry.

Some 40 percent were clothing items, with the rest being accessories, socks and wallets.

All sellers of the counterfeit items were booked and all products were discarded.

Selling fake items is subject to up to seven years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 100 million won.

The Junggu district has been expanding its crackdown against fake goods since 2012 with a judicial police power given to it for the first time in the country.

“Selling fake goods is a crime that violates intellectual property rights and such perceptions should be shared among the society,” said Junggu district head Choi Chang-shik. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)