Korea Customs Service Collaborates with Related Agencies to Block Illegal Import of Endangered Species

The Korea Customs Service will collaborate with related agencies to block the illegal importation of internationally endangered species.

On the 31st, the Korea Customs Service announced that starting this month, it will operate a collaborative system with the National Institute of Biological Resources, the National Institute of Ecology, and the National Wildlife Disease Control Center to prevent the illegal importation of internationally endangered species.

Illegal smuggling of endangered species has been ongoing, with 10 cases in 2020, 7 cases in 2021, 35 cases in 2022, 45 cases in 2023, and 31 cases last year.

Accordingly, related agencies have sought ways to cooperate through working-level consultations, agreeing to strengthen the overall response system through collaboration in detecting illegal imports, protection and management, and raising awareness.

The Korea Customs Service and other agencies plan to share information on illegal imports among related organizations to strengthen detection and response. When offenders are caught, they will cooperate to ensure that punishments under both the Customs Act and the Act on the Protection and Management of Wildlife are simultaneously enforced.

In particular, the Korea Customs Service will guide importers to accurately record the scientific names of internationally endangered species subject to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) during import declarations, and plans to strengthen import requirement verification and selective inspections.

CITES is an international agreement (1975) concerning the international trade of endangered wild animals and plants, which includes managing 1,145 species designated under Appendix I that prohibits their commercial trade.

To establish a protection and management system, experts from the National Institute of Biological Resources will identify the species of smuggled organisms (including whether they are internationally endangered species), and living species requiring protection will be promptly transferred to the National Institute of Ecology to ensure appropriate protection.

Additionally, to improve awareness and prevent recurrence, joint promotional activities targeting travelers will be conducted by related agencies to raise vigilance against illegal imports. Experts from the National Institute of Biological Resources and the National Institute of Ecology will also educate export-import personnel to enhance detection capabilities.

A Korea Customs Service official stated, “Collaboration among related agencies will be a meaningful step to block the illegal importation of internationally endangered species into the country,” adding, “The Korea Customs Service will continue to do its best to eliminate blind spots in smuggling through close cooperation with related agencies.”