Tariff Service Administrator Lee Myung-gu said on the 21st that he would consider creating a new virtual asset analysis unit at the Seoul Customs Office.
Appearing at the National Assembly Strategy and Finance Committee's audit of state affairs that day, Lee said, "In the past, people laundered foreign currency itself through illegal remittance channels, but now the method is evolving into laundering virtual assets," adding, "We will upgrade dedicated personnel and analysis in this area."
In response to a point that indirect exports are increasing to avoid the United States' reciprocal tariff, Lee said, "There has been an aspect where we were not able to assign many personnel to this area in the past." He added, "For an appropriate response, we will continue consultations with related ministries to actively pursue personnel reassignments and, if necessary, increases."
Regarding suspicions that domestic drug smuggling is evolving by making the customs declaration address for express cargo different from the actual delivery address, Lee said, "We are pushing to develop an AI module that refines addresses using artificial intelligence (AI), with the goal of developing it next year."
Lee agreed with a point that drug smuggling from Cambodia is increasing and that more lawbreakers are entering the country. Lee said, "Places like Thailand, the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany have (cooperation systems in place), but it is true that there has been no bilateral (cooperation system) with Cambodia." He added, "We will move this forward."
Lee added, "We will strengthen the screening function of the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) to respond thoroughly so that illegal items, including firearms and drugs, do not enter Korea."