Seoul Main Customs

Seoul Main Customs (Korean: 서울본부세관, also known as 서울세관) is a regional office of the Korea Customs Service, the South Korean government agency responsible for customs administration. It handles the assessment, reduction, and collection of customs duties, the clearance of import and export goods, and the enforcement against smuggling within the Seoul metropolitan area and several other jurisdictions. Its headquarters is located at 721 Eonju-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The head of the customs office is a general service official belonging to the Senior Executive Service (Grade Na). The office was established on July 9, 1949, under the Ministry of Finance, and was transferred to the Korea Customs Service in 1970. Its responsibilities include personnel and document management, security and official seal administration, imposition and collection of taxes on imported goods, customs clearance of imports and exports, legality review of customs clearance and tax and refund audits, surveillance of airports and ports, procedures and search of vessels and aircraft, control of firearms and explosives related to terrorism, criminal investigation of customs law violations, smuggling enforcement, investigation and prosecution of unfair trade, origin marking violations and intellectual property infringement, matters concerning endangered wild fauna and flora and invasive species among imports and exports, and implementation of free trade agreements. Seoul Main Customs has a long history dating back to before the establishment of the South Korean government. In 1907, the Incheon Customs established the Sampo Surveillance Office; in 1908, a Namdaemun branch office under the Tax Bureau's Customs Department was created; in 1910 it was reorganized as the Namdaemun branch of Incheon Customs; in 1920 it became the Gyeongseong branch of Incheon Customs; in 1943 it was absorbed into the Pier Bureau (customs abolished); in 1946 it was reorganized as the Seoul branch of the Incheon Port Authority, and later that year as Seoul Customs. After the establishment of the South Korean government, Seoul Main Customs was established on July 9, 1949 under the Ministry of Finance. Over the decades, it underwent numerous organizational changes, including the establishment and reorganization of branch offices such as Mapo, Guro, Uijeongbu, Seongnam, and international mail offices. In 1970 it became part of the Korea Customs Service. In 2006, several branch offices were upgraded to customs offices, and in 2007 the Seoul International Mail Customs was abolished. In 2016, the Dorasan Support Center was established under Paju Customs, and several branch offices were reorganized as support centers under other customs offices. Today, Seoul Main Customs has jurisdiction over Seoul Special City, the Gimpo area (specifically the household goods bonded area in Jeonho-ri, Gochon-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi-do), Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, Chungcheongbuk-do, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, Daejeon Metropolitan City, and Chungcheongnam-do (excluding areas under the jurisdiction of Pyeongtaek and Gunsan Customs). Its organizational structure includes the Customs Chief, Customs Operations Division, Audit Officer, Import-Export Enterprise Support Center, Clearance Bureau, Customs Clearance Support Division, Export Division, Import Division, Household Goods Division, FTA Enforcement Bureau (with four FTA divisions), Audit Bureau (with Audit General Division, Auditors, Audit Information Division, Arrears Management Division, Refund Audit Division, and Analysis Office), Investigation Bureau 1 (with Investigation General Division, Special Investigation Division, Cyber Investigation Division, Investigation Information Division, and Investigators), and Investigation Bureau 2 (with Foreign Exchange Investigation Division, Foreign Exchange Inspection Division, and Foreign Exchange Investigators).

The history of Seoul Main Customs predates the establishment of the South Korean government. On November 1, 1907, the Incheon Customs established the Sampo Surveillance Office. On January 1, 1908, a Namdaemun branch office was established under the Customs Department of the Tax Bureau (Takjibu). In September 1910, it was reorganized as the Namdaemun branch of Incheon Customs. In May 1920, it was reorganized as the Gyeongseong branch of Incheon Customs as part of a general administrative reorganization. On December 18, 1943, it was absorbed into the Pier Bureau and the customs office was abolished. On February 5, 1946, it was reorganized as the Seoul branch of the Incheon Port Authority. On April 27, 1946, it was reorganized as Seoul Customs. After the establishment of the South Korean government, Seoul Main Customs was established on July 9, 1949 under the Ministry of Finance. On September 3, 1952, the Mapo Surveillance Office was established under Seoul Main Customs. On September 19, 1955, the Mapo Surveillance Office was reorganized as the Mapo Surveillance Post. On January 25, 1957, the Mapo Surveillance Post was reorganized back as the Mapo Surveillance Office. On October 2, 1961, the Mapo Surveillance Office was abolished. On March 29, 1967, the Guro-dong Branch Office was established under Seoul Main Customs. On March 13, 1969, the Guro-dong Branch Office was reorganized as the Guro Branch Office. On December 8, 1969, the Uijeongbu Branch Office was established under Seoul Main Customs. On August 3, 1970, it was transferred to the Korea Customs Service. On August 21, 1970, the Guro Branch Office was upgraded to Guro Customs. On September 15, 1971, Guro Customs was reorganized as Namseoul Customs. On March 14, 1973, the Uijeongbu Branch Office was reorganized as the Dongbu Branch Office. On July 15, 1978, the Seongnam Branch Office was established under Seoul Main Customs, and the Cheongju Branch Office was established under Daejeon Customs. On June 14, 1980, the International Mail Branch Office and the Paju/Dongducheon Surveillance Offices were established under Seoul Main Customs; the Seongnam Branch Office was transferred to Suwon Customs; Namseoul Customs was reorganized as Guro Customs; and the Dongbu Branch Office was reorganized as the Uijeongbu Branch Office. On January 27, 1984, the Cheonan Surveillance Office was established under Daejeon Customs. On February 25, 1985, the Cheonan Surveillance Office was reorganized as the Cheonan Branch Office. On November 20, 1985, Seoul Main Customs took over the Seongnam Branch Office from Suwon Customs. On January 29, 1988, the Chungju Surveillance Office was established under Daejeon Customs, and the Anyang Branch Office was established under Guro Customs; the Seongnam Branch Office was upgraded to Seongnam Customs. On May 8, 1989, the Cheongju Branch Office was upgraded to Cheongju Customs and the Chungju Surveillance Office was incorporated as a subordinate organization. On December 28, 1991, the Anyang Branch Office was upgraded to Anyang Customs. On July 10, 1996, the Cheonan Branch Office was upgraded to Cheonan Customs and the Daesan Surveillance Office was incorporated as a subordinate organization; the Chungju Surveillance Office was reorganized as the Chungju Branch Office; and the Paju/Dongducheon Surveillance Offices were reorganized as the Paju/Dongducheon Surveillance Posts. On February 28, 1998, the Paju Surveillance Post was transferred to the Uijeongbu Branch Office, and the Dongducheon and Daesan Surveillance Posts were abolished. On January 2, 2006, the Uijeongbu, International Mail, and Chungju Branch Offices were upgraded to Uijeongbu, Seoul International Mail, and Chungju Customs. On July 1, 2006, the Paju Surveillance Post was upgraded to Paju Customs. On September 28, 2007, Seoul International Mail Customs was abolished. On January 6, 2015, the Daesan Surveillance Post was reorganized as the Daesan Sub-office. On January 18, 2016, the Dorasan Support Center was established under Paju Customs, and the Guro, Chungju, and Uijeongbu Sub-offices were reorganized as the Guro Support Center under Anyang Customs, the Chungju Support Center under Cheongju Customs, and the Uijeongbu Support Center under Seongnam Customs, respectively.

• 2016

  Dorasan Support Center established under Paju Customs; several sub-offices reorganized as support centers.

• 2007

  Seoul International Mail Customs abolished.

• 2006

  Uijeongbu, International Mail, and Chungju Branch Offices upgraded to customs offices; Paju Surveillance Post upgraded to Paju Customs.

• 1988

  Seongnam Branch Office upgraded to Seongnam Customs.

• 1980

  International Mail Branch Office and Paju/Dongducheon Surveillance Offices established.

• 1978

  Seongnam Branch Office established under Seoul Main Customs.

• 1970

  Transferred to the Korea Customs Service on August 3.

• 1969

  Uijeongbu Branch Office established under Seoul Main Customs.

• 1967

  Guro-dong Branch Office established under Seoul Main Customs.

• 1952

  Mapo Surveillance Office established under Seoul Main Customs.

• 1949

  Seoul Main Customs established under the Ministry of Finance on July 9.

• 1946

  Reorganized as the Seoul branch of the Incheon Port Authority, then as Seoul Customs.

• 1943

  Absorbed into the Pier Bureau; customs office abolished.

• 1920

  Reorganized as the Gyeongseong branch of Incheon Customs.

• 1910

  Reorganized as the Namdaemun branch of Incheon Customs.

• 1908

  Namdaemun branch office established under the Tax Bureau's Customs Department.

• 1907

  Incheon Customs establishes the Sampo Surveillance Office.

Government customs authority for the Seoul metropolitan area and central South Korea

1. 1서울세관 - 위키백과ko.wikipedia.org
2. 2首爾本部海關 - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3서울세관 - 공식 웹사이트customs.go.kr