The Korea Customs Service announced on August 1 that it will conduct customs investigations targeting companies with a high risk of circumventing import requirements, such as prior safety approval.
A customs investigation is an action in which officials visit taxpayers to examine the legitimacy of customs clearance, including the declaration and payment of taxes on imported goods and compliance with import and export requirements.
Import requirements are legal conditions that must be met when bringing goods into the country from abroad. Customs authorities check whether the safety, hygiene, environmental, and technical standards set by each government ministry for specific goods are being observed.
This customs investigation is being carried out as part of a government-wide initiative to prevent industrial accidents.
The main focus is to determine whether companies have deliberately disguised items that require prior approval?such as construction and industrial machinery, protective equipment like helmets and gloves, high-pressure gas containers, and home appliances?as other types of goods when reporting them, or have imported them without certification from authorized agencies, thereby evading import requirements.
Companies found to have failed to meet the safety approval requirements for imported goods during the customs investigation may be subject to penalties or fines in accordance with relevant laws.
Lee Myunggu, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, stated, "To protect public health and ensure social safety, it is most important to block the entry of hazardous goods at the border stage," and added, "The Korea Customs Service will continue to strengthen customs investigations into violations of import requirements to achieve this goal."
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