After a "trick" to secretly take dollars overseas became known, tighter security screening at Incheon International Airport appears to have led to an increase in cases of cracking down on the illegal export of foreign currency.
According to Incheon Airport Main Customs and others on the 12th, there were 117 cases of fines for illegal foreign currency exports at Incheon Airport from April to June this year, up 60.2% from 73 in the same period last year. During the same period, the number of requests for investigations into large-sum foreign currency smuggling rose 64.7% to 28 from 17.
If a traveler is caught smuggling more than $10,000 and up to $30,000 in foreign currency, including dollars, without declaring it to customs, 5% of the violation amount is imposed as fines.
If the smuggled amount exceeds $30,000, an investigation request is made, and if the allegation is recognized, the person may face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.
During the crackdown period, a foreign national, identified as A, hid cash worth tens of millions of won inside a thermos using a carry-on bag and was caught during security screening. Another foreign national, identified as B, carried 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 19.2 million won) in a bag without a separate declaration and was caught in X-ray readings. There was also a case in which a foreign national who hid tens of millions of won in health supplements was imposed fines.
Incheon Airport Customs established a dedicated foreign currency inspection unit at the end of March after concerns were raised about the possibility of illegally exporting foreign currency using the "bookmark dollar" method, and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) provided facilities and equipment needed for enforcement.
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung asked for measures to crack down on the act of inserting dollars into bookmarks to take them out during a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport briefing in December last year.
At the time, President Lee publicly rebuked former IIAC President Lee Hak-jae for failing to give a clear answer. Later, Lee argued on social media that "this incident made it known to the whole world that 'if you hide dollars in a bookmark, they won't be detected.'"
Since then, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) and Incheon Airport Customs have built a "dual-blocking system" linking security screening with X-ray readings and carried out a campaign encouraging voluntary foreign currency declarations.
From April to June this year, voluntary foreign currency declaration cases totaled 2,171, up 16% from 1,872 in the same period last year.
An official at Incheon Airport Customs said, "Together with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), we are also discussing introducing a banknote automatic detection algorithm using artificial intelligence (AI)."