The government will block drug smuggling at the source by establishing a dedicated X-ray reading system across all drug entry routes. It will also build an enforcement system against trade-based fiscal and financial crimes (TBFC), such as fraudulently receiving subsidies by manipulating trade records or falsifying country of origin.
The Korea Customs Service announced on the 15th its "key initiatives for the second half of 2026."
The Korea Customs Service will establish an "N-layer barrier" by expanding dedicated drug X-ray reading and inspections to all entry routes, not only international mail and general cargo but also travelers and express cargo. It will also build an integrated drug risk information system to simultaneously target overseas suppliers and domestic demand, and expand the number of countries subject to international joint crackdowns from the current five to 10 by adding Canada and Cambodia.
To catch roundabout exports disguised as domestic products aimed at avoiding high tariffs, it will establish an artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring system that cross-analyzes import-export declaration data and tax records. It will also create a "comprehensive TBFC prevention and enforcement system" to crack down on manipulated import-export performance, falsified origin in public procurement, and fake sales used for stock price rigging. The Korea Customs Service will directly obtain and analyze information related to government support programs, public procurement, and stock listings to crack down on suspicious companies and share the results with relevant agencies.
Crackdowns will also be tightened on acts of distributing low-priced imports by falsely labeling them as made in Korea. In cooperation with local governments and producer groups, it will newly establish a system to identify, by region, industries and items suffering major damage and conduct focused enforcement, and it will expand the scope of crackdowns to include domestically produced goods that are simply assembled or processed from imported materials and supplies. Companies that underreport the prices of imported goods to pay less tax will face separate customs investigations, and, in cooperation with foreign customs, the agency will block counterfeit K-brand products from entering the domestic market.
An "advanced strategic industries one-stop support team" to back region-specific advanced strategic sectors such as Pyeongtaek semiconductors and Saemangeum robots will also be newly established at hub customs offices. It will mobilize all customs administration support, including bonded systems and authorized economic operator (AEO) certification, to ease the tax burden from factory construction through manufacturing and export. The issuance period for certificates of origin under the free trade agreement (FTA) for crude oil from Malaysia will also be shortened from 180 days to 60 days to diversify supply lines.
Lee Jong-uk, commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, said, "An 'irreplaceable Korea' begins with safe and fair border management," adding, "Through customs administration that tightly blocks transnational crime and throws open the path for exports, we will deliver results the public can feel."