Korea Customs Service, Complete Organizational Restructuring and Work System Overhaul

Noh Seok-hwan, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, is explaining the organizational restructuring plan at the National Customs Directors' Meeting held recently at Busan Customs. Photo by Korea Customs Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Customs Service is undertaking a comprehensive reorganization of its headquarters and customs offices and restructuring its operational system.

On the 23rd, the Korea Customs Service announced that the "Partial Amendment Ordinance of the Korea Customs Service and Affiliated Agencies" was approved at the Cabinet meeting.

The reorganization will be implemented by redesigning the organization within the existing structure and personnel limits, without expanding the organization or increasing staff.

The main points of the reorganization include ▲ integration and linkage of hazardous goods analysis and inspection tasks with export-import field monitoring tasks ▲ unification of customs diplomacy and corporate support tasks to assist domestic companies' overseas activities ▲ establishment of a control tower to oversee the utilization of export-import logistics data and digital innovation.

First, through the reorganization, the Customs Service will merge the Clearance Support Bureau at headquarters and the Customs Border Surveillance Division (formerly part of the Investigation and Surveillance Bureau) into the "Clearance Bureau" and establish a new "Export-Import Safety Inspection Division" to oversee all export-import cargo inspection tasks.

Additionally, the international cooperation department of the Information Cooperation Bureau at headquarters and the Free Trade Agreement Execution Planning Office will be integrated and reorganized into the "International Customs Cooperation Bureau," taking on the role of the government's sole overseas customs practical resolution agency to address corporate difficulties such as product classification, free trade agreement origin certification, and customs clearance delays.

In particular, a new "E-commerce Clearance Division" will be established within the Clearance Bureau to prepare for the rapidly increasing demand in digital trade and to reform related systems and regulations.

Recent statistics show that the number of e-commerce import and export cases increased from 43 million imports and 9.84 million exports in 2019 to 63.56 million imports (47.9% increase) and 20.75 million exports (110.8% increase) in 2020.

The Korea Customs Service expects this trend to continue in the post-COVID-19 era and plans for the Clearance Bureau to play a key role in smoothly supporting the e-commerce import and export processes.

Furthermore, the Customs Service will separate the informatization department from the existing Information Cooperation Bureau and reorganize it into the "Information Data Policy Office," leading the stable operation of UNI-PASS and conducting field-customized research and development (R&D) of new technologies.

It will also serve as a control tower overseeing customs trade data and statistics, enhancing convenience in daily life and export-import logistics processes through artificial intelligence and public data openness.

Customs Commissioner Noh Seok-hwan stated, "This reorganization focuses on responding to the heightened public sensitivity in safety areas and the transition to a contactless and data-driven economy," adding, "The Korea Customs Service will strive to create definite changes in daily life and economic revitalization by ensuring the safe and swift clearance of vaccines and quarantine supplies and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises' entry into global emerging markets."

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