KCS "Unnecessary Administrative Rules Consolidation... Enhancing Convenience and Transparency"

The Korea Customs Service will undertake a large-scale consolidation project by identifying and streamlining regulations that have been operated irrationally.

On the 18th, the Korea Customs Service announced that it will establish and implement the "Customs Sector Administrative Rules Consolidation Plan." This consolidation aims to enhance convenience for export-import companies and the public who refer to customs administrative rules, directives, and guidelines, as well as to strengthen transparency in customs administration and the principles of rule of law administration.

The targets for revision include 213 administrative rules, consisting of 97 notifications and 116 ordinances, and 1,333 internal directives and guidelines.

Among the 213 administrative rules, the Korea Customs Service will consolidate 67 highly relevant administrative rules into 28 according to the Ministry of Government Legislation's "Standards for Drafting and Reviewing Legislation," and in the process, abolish 39 notifications and ordinances.

For example, the Korea Customs Service explained that seven fragmented administrative rules related to collection tasks?such as the "Ordinance on Tax Refund Processing, Ordinance on Collection Processing, and Notification on the Operation of the Customs Guarantee System," the "Notification on Monthly Payment System Operation, Notification on Extension of Payment Deadlines and Installment Payments, and Notification on Payment Agency Fees for Customs, Fines, and Administrative Dispositions via Credit Cards," and the "Notification on Customs Fee Collection Processing"?will be integrated into a single "(tentative name) Notification on Collection Task Processing," so that taxpayers can refer to this notification alone regarding collection and payment matters.

The Korea Customs Service plans to promote the consolidation of 28 administrative rules with the goal of announcing the revision for public comment by October this year.

Prior to the consolidation of administrative rules, internal directives and guidelines have already been significantly revised. A major part of this was the collective abolition of 832 unnecessary directives in April due to environmental changes, and the conversion of 12 non-public directives and guidelines to public disclosure for the general public.

On-site, there have been criticisms that existing directives, such as the "Temporary Landing Report Processing Guidelines for Export Vehicles," which have already been reflected in higher-level administrative rules, or the "Pilot Operation and Detailed Operation Guidelines for Export Delivery Centers," which do not align with current systems, remain and cause confusion among companies and the public.

In this regard, the Korea Customs Service plans to continue monthly inspections and the transition of non-public internal directives and guidelines to public disclosure, in addition to the collective abolition of unnecessary internal directives and guidelines.

Furthermore, by minimizing the establishment of new directives and guidelines, the Korea Customs Service will prevent the unchecked increase of internal directives and guidelines.

Ko Gwang-hyo, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, stated, "The unique nature of customs administration, often called 'notification administration,' has long caused inconvenience to the public and companies and has been a chronic problem that reduces administrative transparency. The reorganization (consolidation) of customs sector administrative rules is a task being undertaken for the first time in nine years since 2015, and we will continue to boldly filter out irrational or unnecessary rules and guidelines."

Meanwhile, the Korea Customs Service plans not only to proceed with the consolidation swiftly but also to continue ongoing legal revisions to identify and resolve shadow regulations.

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