Cross-border online shopping customs clearance set for a major overhaul as Korea Customs Service launches dedicated platform

[Financial News] The dedicated e-commerce customs clearance platform built by the Korea Customs Service to create a safe and speedy customs clearance environment for cross-border online purchases has completed its pilot run and is now fully operational.
 The Korea Customs Service said it held a launch ceremony for the dedicated e-commerce customs clearance platform on the 26th at Seoul Main Customs. A total of 65 people attended, including representatives of major domestic and international e-commerce companies such as Coupang, Lotte ON, 11st, Gmarket, AliExpress, Temu and SHEIN; representatives of logistics companies such as CJ Logistics, Hanjin Co., Ltd., Lotte Global Logistics and LX Pantos, and customs brokerage firms.
 The dedicated e-commerce customs clearance platform, which began pilot operations on August 28 and officially launched today, is a newly designed system to efficiently clear the rapidly growing volume of cross-border online purchases.
 The biggest change brought by the platform is tighter management across the entire e-commerce supply chain. The Korea Customs Service is fully implementing a registration system for e-commerce operators and will substantially strengthen risk management for goods based on transaction information submitted by cross-border shopping sites. It has also streamlined administrative procedures by introducing a dedicated e-commerce declaration form that reflects the surging volume of goods and the characteristics of e-commerce.
 Consumer protection and convenience for users will also improve significantly. A one-time verification code system has been introduced to prevent the unauthorized use of another person’s Personal Customs Clearance Code at the source. With the launch of a dedicated e-commerce portal, users can now access a range of administrative services related to cross-border online purchases in one place, from managing customs clearance codes to paying duties.
 The customs inspection system is shifting to an approach of “selective focus.” Goods from companies with clear transaction information or recognized reliability will move quickly through customs clearance, while X-ray screening and physical inspections of goods that bypass the platform or are classified as high-risk will be dramatically stepped up to tighten border surveillance.
 Korea Customs Service Commissioner Lee Jong-wook said, “The launch of this dedicated e-commerce customs clearance platform will greatly speed up customs clearance for cross-border online purchases while allowing customs authorities to focus their surveillance capabilities on blocking illegal and dangerous goods such as narcotics and firearms.” He added, “We will continue to advance customs administration and build a watertight border management network.”
 The launch of the dedicated platform is a preemptive measure to prevent products containing potentially harmful ingredients whose safety has not been verified, as well as counterfeit goods, from entering the country, amid explosive growth in cross-border online shopping volumes. There have been persistent concerns that safety inspections are limited under the existing blanket customs clearance process, which centers on document reviews. Going forward, as actual transaction information provided by overseas shopping sites is linked to customs systems in real time, it is expected to become possible to quickly screen out harmful food and pharmaceutical products, as well as manufactured goods that fail to meet safety standards, before they enter customs clearance.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter