Quote from: wazure on March 11, 2011, 08:53:07 am

What's the duty-free threshold?


The duty-free threshold is 150,000 Korean won (usually around $130 USD) and that includes the shipping fee.

Go here for the current exchange rate employed by Korea Customs:

http://english.customs.go.kr/kcsweb/user.tdf?a=user.exchangerate.ExchangeRateApp&c=1001&mc=ENGLISH_INFORMATION_CUSTOMS

What are the duty and tax rates?

For the most products, 8% customs duties and 10 % value added tax (VAT). However, some goods are liable to special excise taxes and other taxes.

In general, all the household goods (except automobiles, boats, luxury jewelry, second items depending on the situation) are exempt from Customs duties and taxes. In addition, pianos, refrigerators, dryers, ovens or some other household goods are exempt from Customs duties and taxes only once because there's usually only one of those items per household.

However, you need to prove that you are going to live in Korea for more than two years and the goods should be brought into Korea within 6 months of your first arrival. You can't file duty-free applications on brand new products, gifts, professional goods, goods for sale and other goods that aren't household necessities.

Automobiles, airplanes, boats and jewelry (worth more than 1 million won) are charged with regular duties and taxes.


For all the details of Customs duty and tax rates applicable, please refer to the Duties and Taxes in Korea or Simplified Duty Rate at Simplified Clearance on the Korea Customs' web site.

Besides customs duties and taxes, some items require licensing & approval procedures in other government agencies. These include food, alcohol, pets, medicine, and cars.  For details, please read more on importing individual items."


Electronics, books, laptops, clothes/shoes, and bags

Electronics such as cameras, tablets, smartphones, etc. are subject to 20% taxation.

Books are duty free, but audio books (CDs, DVDs, etc.) are subject to 20% taxation.

There is no duty on laptops, but 10% VAT on the CIF value (the price+freight+insurance fee) is charged.

The duty rate on clothes and shoes is 13%, whereas it's 8% on bags.

How are duties calculated?

Let's suppose you ordered clothes (13% duty rate) whose value is $200 USD and the current exchange rate is 1,100 KRW = $1 USD. Let's also suppose the shipping is $10 USD.

Duty fee = (value of products in KRW + shipping in KRW )*duty rate

Duty fee = (200 USD * 1,100 KRW/USD   +  $10 USD*1,100 KRW/USD)*13%  = 30,030

VAT=  (value of products in KRW + shipping in KRW + duty fee)*VAT rate=

VAT = [200 USD*1,100 KRW/USD + $10 USD*1,100 KRW/USD + 30, 030 ]*10% = 26,103

Total fees =  Duty fee + VAT = 30,030 + 26,103 = 56,133 KRW

How do I pay?

Online banking is the probably the easiest and fastest way, but it's also possible to pay by going to your bank or any post office.

How did my  friend order over 200,000 KRW worth of  dietary supplements (or X good) and not get charged a dime?

S/he probably ordered from a Korean company that is aware of customs laws (most, if not all, are). Hence, they probably marked the package as gift and/or deliberately marked the value of the package such that you avoid paying fees.

It's also possible that the goods ordered are exempt from duties and taxes. Or maybe s/he just got lucky!

More Info

http://www.customs.go.kr/kcshome/main/content/ContentView.do?contentId=CONTENT_ID_000001318&layoutMenuNo=21023

Have a specific question?

Ask Korea Customs directly:

http://www.customs.go.kr/kcshome/main/qna/QnaList.do?layoutMenuNo=21035

Interesting

Note: that’s an old post.  The rates have likely changed, and FTAs make most goods from select nations duty free.

Just got an email my package with Korea Post is held up at customs. It's from Iherb and under 150000 won. Has anyone else had issues with them? I've always done CJ Express and have never encountered issues.

Quote from: sh9wntm on May 30, 2018, 07:57:16 am

Just got an email my package with Korea Post is held up at customs. It's from Iherb and under 150000 won. Has anyone else had issues with them? I've always done CJ Express and have never encountered issues.

It might be the contents.

This is likely it.
Sometimes it isn't the product itself, but the label. For example, I have heard that "gelatin" needs to include the species it was derived from (pig, cow, horse), even of it is an ingredient in something else.

They ended up wanting my passport number, which I already gave on my order but maybe they were double checking. Anyways no big deal. Overall delivery service in Korea has been impeccable.

This happened to me and bf the first few times we ordered from iherb in either of our names. Every time we had to call up a number that was texted to us and give our passport number and then the order came through.
Since then, everything sails through no worries.
Our theory is that customs were trying to discourage us from importing foreign produce the first few times something flagged up in our name, and after a certain threshold accepted that we weren't going to stop. Didn't count the number of times, but it was very similar in both names - maybe 3 or 4 times, and then no issues at all since then.
iherb is a lifesaver. Being vegan and living in a rural area, the only things I buy from the local supermarket are (fricking expensive) vegetables, tofu, olive oil and soy milk and EVERYTHING else I consume is imported. I give thanks every day for iherb 

Be super careful if you're ever ordering more than 150,000 dollars' worth and choose to split it into multiple deliveries that you leave a day at least between the orders. The first time we'd done research and placed our second order the day after the first (in the same name), and got stung since in California it was still the same day due to the time difference...and both parcels still arrived at customs on the same day.
I now monitor the tracking, and as soon as a parcel has cleared customs, that's my green light to place another order. Shipping is amazing - I can order and receive 2 parcels in a week  Compared to Amazon.com, who take over a week to even make a move on dispatching an order...

Be super careful if you're ever ordering more than 150,000 dollars' worth and choose to split it into multiple deliveries that you leave a day at least between the orders. The first time we'd done research and placed our second order the day after the first (in the same name), and got stung since in California it was still the same day due to the time difference...and both parcels still arrived at customs on the same day.

This is currently happening to me... Ordered max ($150) from iHerb, and at the same time ordered something via Gmarket. The Gmarket order is being held in customs. The fee (75K won) is greater than the item (50K won), so I'm just not accepting it... Strange situation imo. Seller said it's impossible to pay return shipping and get a refund on the order. I won't pay it ofc, but I'm curious what will happen to the item (i.e. when it will be sent back; if customs officers will get to keep it; if they sell the item for profit, etc. etc.). Anyone know?

Edited for formatting :D

Just an update, please note the customs free limit is USD 150, that is not the same as KRW 150,000. Also, here are updated links since all of the above do not work.

"Goods priced at no more than a certain value (USD 150 in goods priced) value, including the value of goods and freight), such as goods donated to people residing in Korea by their relatives in foreign countries, are exempted from customs duties and tax.
When a postal item is exempts from taxes by customs officer on the spot, it is transferred to the post office in the jurisdiction over the area of addressee. For dutiable postal items, the addressee should pay the duties to have them cleared, and some goods can be cleared only when import requirements (e.g. certificate of quarantine) are met."

https://www.customs.go.kr/english/cm/cntnts/cntntsView.do?mi=8058&cntntsId=2734

"The following postal items are duty-free, and you must pay duties for any goods which exceed the duty-free allowance.

Goods with a total value of not more than US$150 which are received by a domestic resident and recognized to be intended for personal use"

https://www.customs.go.kr/english/cm/cntnts/cntntsView.do?mi=8035&cntntsId=2723

Here's the tax rate if you are ordering over USD150

https://www.customs.go.kr/upload/popCntntsId2723.html