Korea Customs Service Proposes 728.4 Billion Won Budget for Next Year, Allocates 21.3 Billion Won to Drug Crackdown

▲ Korea Customs Service

The Korea Customs Service announced today (September 1) that it has drafted a budget of 728.4 billion won for next year.

This is the largest scale ever, increasing by 38.5 billion won (5.6%) compared to this year's budget proposal.

Specifically, it consists of 407.6 billion won for labor costs, 284.1 billion won for major project expenses, and 36.7 billion won for basic operational expenses.

First, a total of 21.3 billion won will be invested in building a drug crackdown network to substantially reinforce drug inspection facilities and equipment by smuggling routes at the border stage.

5.2 billion won will be spent on integrating the individual screening centers at Terminals 1 and 2 and establishing an X-ray multi-screening integration center to strengthen the inspection of checked baggage of high-risk inbound travelers arriving at Incheon International Airport.

4.6 billion won will also be spent on adding advanced scientific inspection equipment, such as 3D X-ray scanners and millimeter-wave body scanners.

2.1 billion won will be spent on expanding precise analysis equipment, including liquid chromatography, to respond in a timely manner to the spread of new types of drugs.

9.4 billion won will be invested in newly constructing the aging international mail customs inspection center.

A total of 6.5 billion won has been allocated to transition into an artificial intelligence (AI)-based customs administration system.

1.8 billion won will be invested in upgrading the "illegal goods AI screening model" to prevent the smuggling of drugs and firearms through overseas direct purchases, and 2.6 billion won will be put into building a system that uses AI to comprehensively analyze internal and external taxation and investigation data to improve the efficiency of investigating import and export price distortions and illegal foreign exchange transactions.

In addition, 4.9 billion won has been allocated for field-customized research and development (R&D), which includes developing a system that allows AI to learn from cases of container smuggling detections to automatically select smuggled goods (1.2 billion won).

Na Jong-tae, the Director of the Planning and Finance Division at the Korea Customs Service, stated, "In line with the government's fiscal management direction, we implemented high-intensity expenditure restructuring, such as adjusting priorities for each project and reducing public sector expenses," adding, "Through this, the secured financial resources were intensively invested in core projects that the public can feel, such as blocking drug smuggling and innovating AI-based customs administration."

(Photo provided by Korea Customs Service, Yonhap News)

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