South Korean Police Arrest Three in Lee Ufan Forgery Ring

South Korean authorities have apprehended three individuals for producing and selling counterfeit works by artist Lee Ufan. The suspects, identified as dealers Kim and Ku along with painter Park, are accused of creating 40 fake artworks between 2012 and 2014. According to police reports, Kim and Ku purchased the forgeries from Park for approximately 300 million won (around £200,000) before reselling them to a gallery owner for 2.9 billion won (roughly £2 million). This case is separate from another ongoing forgery trial involving gallery owner Hyeon and his associates. In that parallel investigation, Hyeong—arrested in June—confessed to earning $1.1 million from selling counterfeit Lee Ufan paintings. Notably, when asked to authenticate the works, Lee Ufan himself mistakenly identified the forgeries as his own creations. The police investigation revealed that the canvas used in the fakes was produced after 2005, leading Park to admit his involvement. The arrests were reported by The Korea Times on November 18, 2016, with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency handling the case.