Illegal Export of $22.3 Billion Hidden in Custom-Made Waistbands... Incheon Airport Duty-Free Staff Sentenced to Prison with Probation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Sung-yeol] An employee of the Incheon International Airport duty-free shop who illegally smuggled out $18.84 million (approximately 22.3 billion KRW) using a specially made corset was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

The Incheon District Court Criminal Division 5 (Judge Lee Sang-wook) announced on the 10th that it sentenced A (24, female), an Incheon Airport duty-free shop employee indicted for violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, to one year in prison with a two-year suspension.

Additionally, the court ordered A to undergo probation and perform 120 hours of community service.

The court stated, "The defendant took advantage of her position working at the duty-free shop to play a relatively leading role in the crime," and added, "There is a need for strict punishment."

However, the court explained the sentencing reasoning, saying, "Considering her young age, first-time offense, and her pledge not to commit the crime again, we show leniency by imposing a suspended prison sentence."

Earlier, A was indicted for assisting in the illegal smuggling of $18.84 million, used for so-called 'hwan-chigi' (informal currency exchange), out of the security zone of Incheon Airport in Jung-gu, Incheon City, a total of 197 times from April to December of last year.

According to investigations, A carried dollars in a specially made corset made of silicone at the request of the related organization, passed through the security zone, and handed over the foreign currency to couriers.

It is known that she transported between 100 million to 200 million KRW at a time, up to 500 million KRW per day, and received a fee of 100,000 to 500,000 KRW for her efforts.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.