The Korea Customs Service announced on the 16th that it detected about 7,200 illegal imports, including false origin labeling and violations of import requirements, during concentrated inspections of items closely related to the public's daily life in the first half of this year.
Every year, the Korea Customs Service selects 700 items closely related to public health and safety, such as health foods, clothing, and children's toys, designating them as 'items closely related to public life' for intensive management.
Major types of violations include ▲ false origin labeling and failure to label (about 2,300 cases, 1.7 million points) ▲ violations of import requirements (about 580 cases, 1.33 million points) ▲ errors in tax reporting (about 4,200 cases) ▲ intellectual property rights infringement (about 150 cases, 57,000 points).
In cases of origin violations, instances were primarily detected where Chinese clothing was disguised as Korean-made or where both Korean-made and Chinese-made labels were used simultaneously, violating origin labeling.
In cases of violations of import requirements, there were many instances where items subject to Korea Certification (KC) were falsely labeled with certification numbers to evade certification or falsely reported as items not subject to import requirements.
In cases of intellectual property rights infringement, there were instances revealed where the upper part of Chinese sandals was covered with an opaque material displaying a luxury brand logo to evade customs inspection.
A representative of the Korea Customs Service said, 'When clear illegal activities such as false origin labeling and evading import certification are confirmed, strict measures, including prosecution, are being taken,' adding, 'We plan to strengthen import inspections on items closely related to public life to ensure safety for the public.'