Korea Customs Service Revises Origin Labeling Regulations... "Focus on Resolving Corporate Difficulties"

The Korea Customs Service has significantly revised the regulations on country of origin labeling. The various scattered regulations related to country of origin labeling have been consolidated into a single, easy-to-understand framework, with a focus on resolving difficulties faced by businesses in the field.

On the 21st, the Korea Customs Service announced the administrative notice of the amendment to the "Notice on the Operation of the Country of Origin Labeling System" (hereinafter referred to as the Notice).

A notable point in the amendment is the consolidation of previously scattered regulations on country of origin labeling, which were spread across notices, directives, and guidelines, into a single Notice. This aims to allow companies and others to check the requirements they must follow regarding the country of origin labeling system in one place, thereby reducing unintended violations of country of origin labeling.

The amendment also includes provisions to reduce penalties for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that violate the country of origin labeling regulations for the first time unintentionally, allowing a reduction of fines from the existing 30% up to a maximum of 50%. This is intended to alleviate the financial burden on SMEs unfamiliar with the country of origin labeling system.

The regulation requiring that if a country of origin labeling violation is confirmed within three months after import customs clearance and removal from the bonded area, the goods must be re-imported into the bonded area to correct the labeling, has also been revised. While maintaining the existing principle, the key change is that goods requiring special storage such as dustproofing, moisture-proofing, or freezing can be corrected locally without re-importation into the bonded area.

Regarding customs sanctions and other dispositions for country of origin labeling violations, the amendment extends the period for submitting opinions by the subject of the disposition from the current 10 days to 14 days, and for fines from 15 days to 20 days, allowing the subject sufficient time to present their statements. This is another important point in the amendment.

Additionally, the Korea Customs Service will unify the standards for country of origin labeling of agricultural and fishery processed products. Previously, the font size for country of origin labeling varied depending on the label area, but the amendment standardizes the font size to at least 10 points regardless of the labeling area. This aligns the standards of the Country of Origin Labeling Act (under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries), the Food Labeling and Advertising Act (under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety), and the Customs Service’s Notice, which is expected to prevent confusion in the field.

A Korea Customs Service official stated, “We expect that the revision of the country of origin labeling regulations will contribute to alleviating the financial burden on SMEs and resolving the inconveniences experienced in the field.” He added, “The Korea Customs Service will continue to boldly improve public inconveniences in cooperation with related ministries regarding country of origin labeling.”

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