[2020 National Audit] Korea Customs Service Neglects Enforcement on Chinese Solar Panels

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Korea Customs Service, the agency responsible for enforcing origin labeling on industrial products and agricultural and marine products, has been criticized for virtually neglecting the enforcement of origin labeling on 'solar modules (panels),' a key component of solar power generation.

On the 16th, Ryu Seong-geol, the spokesperson for the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee from the People Power Party, pointed out, "60.6% of domestic solar power facilities owned by eight public enterprises related to power generation, including Korea Electric Power Corporation, use foreign-made solar cells, and 97% of these foreign cells are Chinese-made."

He added, "Considering the high usage rate of Chinese cells by major power generation public enterprises, it is suspected that a significant portion of 'solar modules' distributed domestically are of Chinese origin," and emphasized, "It is necessary to verify how the origin of solar modules distributed domestically is labeled."

However, Representative Ryu criticized that the Korea Customs Service, the agency responsible for enforcing origin labeling, has effectively neglected the enforcement of origin labeling on solar modules since investigating two companies last year.

Last year, the Korea Customs Service detected and referred to the prosecution two companies, including Company A, which assembled 2.54 million 'solar modules (panels)' by simply connecting foreign-made solar cells and disguised their origin as domestic to export them to the United States and other countries, for violations of the Foreign Trade Act and Customs Act.

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