KOREA POST

Treatment of Items Containing Prohibited Items

Items to be dispatched to a foreign country

When accepting an item, the sender should be thoroughly questioned on its contents to check whether the item contains any prohibited article.

If the sender’s description on contents is considered different from the actual contents, the sender may be asked to open the item. If the sender refuses to declare the contents or open the item, the item may not be admitted.

When an item is confirmed to contain a prohibited item, the item shall be treated as below, after explanation for the reason to the sender:

• If the item is an export prohibited article, admission shall be denied.
• If the item is an export restricted article, it may be admitted only when the item fulfills the import & export requirements explained above.

Items received from a foreign country

Items containing a prohibited item and wrongly admitted by the origin post shall be treated in accordance to domestic regulations.

The following items shall not be delivered to the addressee nor returned to the sender:

• Narcotics and psychotropic substances;
• Explosive or flammable materials, or other dangerous goods;
• Obscene or immoral articles;
• Decayed food

In case of an item containing mixed contents of prohibited articles and non-prohibited articles, a part of it may be delivered to the addressee

Any item that violates provisions in the Universal Postal Convention Article 26 and Article 44 (Perishable Biological Substances) shall be returned to the origin office. However, an item that does not meet conditions of the Universal Postal Convention but wrongly admitted may be delivered to the addressee, without surcharge if possible. An item containing perishable biological substances or radioactive substances but wrongly admitted in violation of the Universal Postal Convention Article 26 and Article 44 may be delivered to the addressee if the destination country’s regulations allow.

If a parcel-post item containing correspondence defined in the Universal Postal Convention Article 25.4, such correspondence shall be deemed as a unpaid letter-post item. The parcel-post item, however, shall not be returned to the sender, with the reason of containing correspondence.

The destination office shall have a right to deliver an uninsured parcel-post item containing articles listed in the Universal Postal Convention Article 25.5 (coins, bank notes, currency notes, securities of any kind payable to bearer, platinum, gold or silver, whether manufactured or not, precious stones, jewels or other valuable articles) admitted in a country accepting insurance to the addressee according to national regulations. If the destination country does not allow the delivery of such item, it shall be returned to the sender. Such regulation also applies to a parcel-post item that significantly surpasses allowed limits in weight or size. However, if the addressee makes pre-payment for such item, it may be delivered to the addressee.

When an item or part of its contents wrongly admitted to the post is neither returned to sender nor delivered to the addressee, the designated operator of origin shall be notified without delay how it has been dealt with. This notification shall clearly indicate the prohibition under which the item falls and the articles which gave rise to seizure.

In the event of the seizure of a wrongly admitted item, the designated operator of transit or destination shall notify the desginated operator of origin through the dispatch of a CN 13 report.

For more details on mailing, customs clearance, tracking, terms & conditions by country, delivery, please visit our EMS webpage ( http://ems.epost.go.kr ) or contact our call center (+82) 1588 1300.