Korea Customs Service to Support Proactive Management of Corporate Risks

The Korea Customs Service is taking proactive steps to help companies resolve management uncertainties and support voluntary and accurate customs declarations.

The Korea Customs Service announced on January 9 that it recently held a corporate meeting for the 'Customs Safety Plan' at Seoul Customs, presided over by Commissioner Lee Myunggu.

The meeting was attended by representatives from major import and export companies, as well as related associations, to share support measures for the Customs Safety Plan and to prevent management risks stemming from large-scale or sudden post-clearance tax assessments.

Lee Myunggu, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service (third from right), is presiding over the 'Customs Safety Plan' corporate meeting at Seoul Customs on the 9th. Photo by Korea Customs Service

The Customs Safety Plan will serve as the unified brand for the Korea Customs Service's preventive pre-audit support activities. Based on key pre-audit systems such as advance classification review, advance customs value (ACVA) review, advance review of refund requirements, advance origin review, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certification, and the provision of tax filing assistance information, the plan aims to provide integrated support so that taxpayers can review their filings in advance and avoid any disadvantages.

First, with the implementation of the Customs Safety Plan, the review period for cases requiring prompt classification-such as responses to trade issues-will be reduced from 30 days to 15 days. Items in the research and development or testing phase will also become eligible for advance classification review, allowing companies to finalize item categories early and develop export strategies accordingly.

The Customs Safety Plan also includes benefits for AEO-certified companies: when these companies submit self-inspection results verified by experts (customs brokers or accountants), the customs compliance review period will be shortened, and companies will be eligible for a switch to document-based reviews.

Additionally, items approved through advance review of refund requirements will be excluded from customs audits in the refund sector, with only the fulfillment of refund quantity calculations being checked. This measure will be implemented in the first half of this year. For companies that have undergone advance review, the frequency of refund payment reviews and required document submissions will be reduced, enabling faster refunds.

The Korea Customs Service has been providing tax filing assistance information by analyzing risks of tax declaration errors, enabling companies to identify and correct their own tax payment mistakes. Moving forward, the self-inspection period for companies receiving such information will be extended from 60 days to 120 days. For items with significant tariff rate differences, early review information will be provided to prevent sudden, large tax assessments in advance.

Commissioner Lee Myunggu stated, "The Korea Customs Service will proactively address shortcomings and implement a preventive, company-focused customs administration so that companies do not face difficulties from unexpected tax assessments. We urge import and export companies that need support through the Customs Safety Plan to actively utilize the pre-audit systems available through customs offices nationwide."