Korea Customs Service Detects 3.1 Million Illegal Imports Threatening Public Health and Safety

[Financial News] The Korea Customs Service announced on the 16th that it had detected 7,200 illegal imports and 3.1 million items, including false origin labeling and import requirement violations, through focused inspections of items closely related to public life during the first half of this year.
 Each year, the Korea Customs Service selects 700 items closely related to public health and safety, such as health foods, clothing, and children's toys, designating them as 'items closely related to public life' and managing them intensively.
 Major types of violations detected included △false or missing origin labeling (approximately 2,300 cases and 1.7 million items) △import requirement violations (approximately 580 cases and 1.33 million items) △tax declaration errors (approximately 4,200 cases) △intellectual property rights infringements (approximately 150 cases and 57,000 items).
 In cases of origin violations, many involved disguising Chinese clothing as Korean-made or labeling them as both Korean and Chinese.
 Import requirement violations often involved falsely stating certification numbers to evade KC certification requirements or falsely declaring items as non-subject to import requirements.
 In cases of intellectual property rights infringement, there were instances where luxury brand logos were displayed on the upper part of Chinese-made shoes (sandals) and covered with opaque fabric to evade customs inspection.
A Korea Customs Service official stated, “In cases where clear violations such as false origin labeling and evasion of import certification are confirmed, we are taking strict measures such as filing charges,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen import inspections on items closely related to public life to ensure the safety of the public.”

kwj5797@fnnews.com Kim Won-jun Reporter