Alcohol and airplane import laws in Korea? How many?

[nardthefox]

Hey guys,
I've got a buddy coming over next month to visit me for a bit before moving on. I'm having him bring over some quality single malt scotch and port you can't get in Korea. I'd like to know how many bottles and what size can be brought on a plane, declared, etc? Do any of you know? Or do you have a resource I could call to find out?
Thanks much,
Todd

[menschmaschine]

EDIT: I was wrong! You get a liter in tax-free. You can sue this website (http://english.customs.go.kr/kcsweb/user.tdf?a=user.tariff.TariffApp&c=2001&mc=ENGLISH_PERSONAL_TRAVELERS_090) to calculate the costs of anything over a liter.


You get 1 bottle (750ml, I think) tax-free. Anything else you have to pay import duties on, which I think are 80% or the value of the bottle.

[DejaVu]

I would also like to know the specifics on this pertaining to Korea's laws.

However, did you think over going through a duty free shop (where the amount is infinite [I think])?  Some duty free shops are huge and even contain things like fine port depending on what country you are coming from.

Let me know if you get anymore information on the subject, though, please!

[daycint]

you're allowed to bring 1 litre of alcohol through from duty free.

[flasyb]

The official limit is one 1000ml bottle of strong liquor and one carton of 200 cigarettes.

http://www.traveldocs.com/kr/customs.htm

However, did you think over going through a duty free shop (where the amount is infinite [I think])?  Some duty free shops are huge and even contain things like fine port depending on what country you are coming from.

While it's true that you can buy more or less whatever you want in duty free, if you try to bring more than one bottle past Korean immigrations, they may try to tax you on every bottle except the first. The option is usually pay the tax or leave the booze. They may not try to stop you though. It usually depends on what mood they're in and if they take a shine to you.

[eggplant_tyrant]

Yeah, one bottle is unfortunately the limit.

On a related note, does anyone know (for sure) the actual tax rate on alcohol over the limit (ie, more than one bottle)? I know it's high, and I know menschmachine said it's something like 80% of the value, but does anyone know for sure?

Also, nardthefox, have you checked the underground markets in Namdaemoon? There are stalls there that have all sorts of alcohol that I haven't seen anywhere else in Korea. One guy in particular had a pretty impressive assortment of scotch (again, for Korea).

[nardthefox]

I haven't looked around in Namdaemoon, though I'm looking for Lagavulin, a top grade single malt of preferably 12 years or more. It runs about $70+ in the states or higher, and any good Tawny Port. I have been in Korea over two years and still can't find any scotch worth a damned thing (I mean, Glenfiddich is okay...I guess...but it's no Northern single malt). Boy, that sucks. Only a friggin' liter. Pity. Might have to have him bring over some cheap port with a good bottle of scotch and just pay out the wazoo for it.

[donuts81]

1 bottle is the limit but I think your fairly safe with 2.

How many bottles have others here brought through customs?

[Jeff619]

1000mL is the limit, but after at least a dozen trips through customs I've yet to be checked. 

[thedsr]

Not that I am trying to get around any legalities.  But when I landed and got my luggage from baggage claim, I think I remember handing them a piece of paper and walking right out the door.  Can't you put a bunch of booze in your check in bags and one for the plane and just walk out the door when you get here?

[justanotherwaygook]

Not that I am trying to get around any legalities.  But when I landed and got my luggage from baggage claim, I think I remember handing them a piece of paper and walking right out the door.  Can't you put a bunch of booze in your check in bags and one for the plane and just walk out the door when you get here?

You can only carry the bottle on the plane if you bought it inside the terminal (they will put it in a bag and such).  The liquid rules apply, so no outside liquids (unless you want to bring a tiny bottle).

You have to claim any of the excess liquor on the customs declaration (I THINK you don't need to claim the first bottle/under the limit, not sure).  Sometimes they do check the declaration.  If you get caught, it's not good.

Yes, I know of cases in which a few bottles were brought in, declared, and the customs officer just waved the person through.  I suppose it's a case-by-case basis, but always cover yourself and declare everything.

[Davox]

I haven't looked around in Namdaemoon, though I'm looking for Lagavulin, a top grade single malt of preferably 12 years or more. It runs about $70+ in the states or higher, and any good Tawny Port. I have been in Korea over two years and still can't find any scotch worth a damned thing (I mean, Glenfiddich is okay...I guess...but it's no Northern single malt). Boy, that sucks. Only a friggin' liter. Pity. Might have to have him bring over some cheap port with a good bottle of scotch and just pay out the wazoo for it.

The aforementioned guy in namdaemun has lagavulin, or at least I saw some there a month ago.  Was like 100,000-110,000 won or something, which is not a terrible price, considering how far it had to come to get here.  He is, in fact, the only guy I know of in Korea that has any of the tastier/less famous single malts.

[nardthefox]

@Davox Whoa, that's awesome to hear! Would you be able to give me a rough idea how to find this guy's shop?

[Davox]

@Davox Whoa, that's awesome to hear! Would you be able to give me a rough idea how to find this guy's shop?

Namdaemun's kinda a maze, especially underground where the guy is.  And I don't go often, so my memory of how to get there isn't the greatest, so you may have to wander a bit. He's in one of the underground sections under a building in the middle of the main market.  The entrances are labeled A, B, C...etc.  I'm not sure 100%, but I believe he's closest to C or D. It's whichever entrance has a bunch of imported food and grains and vitamins in the hall right at the bottom of the stairs going down, so if you don't see something like that by the time you're halfway down the stairs, try another one.  He's not in that hall, he's in a store right next to one of the 6 passages leading off in every direction from there.  Poke your head out through each hallway, you'll see him right away if it's the correct one.  You'll know it's him because he not only has scotch, but also rarer tequilas and other cool hard stuff on display.

[Lobey]

Hi, I brought in two litres of Gin no problems. I wrote it on my declaration and went to declare it and they just said don't worry and waved me through.
But I had worked out that it was worth paying the tax if they wanted it.
So if you want them badly enough then be prepared to pay the extra tax but if you're lucky you won't pay.
I wouldn't ask a friend to smuggle the extra booze without declaring it.
And I think the legal 1 litre of booze can only be worth up to $400.
Port is ace.

[yitzike]

HOT DOG! Thanks for posting these directions Davox! This weekend I'm going home to Canada for three weeks, but before I do I'm going to see if I can find this place. Haha I even printed the descriptions to put them in my wallet. Anyway if this place has a good selection then it'll save me a headache on the way back. I wonder if they would have any Bushmills... Only Irish Whiskey you can find in Korea is Jameson.

When I took the ferry to and from Japan (Busan to Fukuoka), on the way back I brought two bottles of whiskey with me (one of which, Yamazaki Single Malt 12, I'd highly recommend if you're ever in Japan). I played it safe and declared both bottles, expecting to pay some ridiculous amount of duty. The customs agents at the ferry terminal in Busan saw it and just waved me through.

Always play it safe and declare it. You can get big fines if you don't declare something and they end up finding it. Also, declaring something does not necessarily mean your bags will get searched.

[danitravels]

If he's bringing two checked bags, put one in each. Apparently that isn't a problem. Somehow my mom sent me off with hidden bottles in each of mine.

That was the best unpacking surprise ever.

Way better than the cockroaches from Ecuador. Eww.

[profmiscreant]

I got stopped with two (not counting what was in my suitcase) from duty free and was told this was my one time to get off scot free (scotch free?) and that in the future I would pay taxes on anything more than one bottle.

Again, I feel like it's their mood and how  much you broke the allowance...

Also once in duty free the lady (in Hong Kong) informed me of the limits on my destination. That was neat.