Attempt to Smuggle Tens of Millions of Won in Thermos Foiled; Incheon Airport Crackdowns Up 60%

Following the emergence of methods such as hiding dollar bills in bookmarks to smuggle currency, security screening at Incheon International Airport has been strengthened, leading to an increase in the number of detected cases of illegal foreign currency outflow.

According to the Incheon Airport Customs and other authorities on July 12, there were 117 cases of administrative fines imposed for illegal foreign currency outflow at Incheon Airport between April and June of this year, a 60.2% increase from 73 cases during the same period last year.

During the same period, the number of cases referred for investigation regarding the smuggling of large amounts of foreign currency also rose by 64.7%, from 17 to 28.

If an individual is caught attempting to smuggle foreign currency, including dollars, without declaring it to customs in an amount exceeding 10,000 dollars but not exceeding 30,000 dollars, a fine equivalent to 5% of the violated amount is imposed.

If the smuggled amount exceeds 30,000 dollars, the case is referred for investigation, and if convicted, the individual may face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won.

During this crackdown period, a foreign national, identified as A, was caught during security screening after hiding banknotes worth tens of millions of won inside a thermos in their carry-on bag.

Another foreign national, B, was caught during X-ray screening while carrying 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 19.2 million won) in their bag without a separate declaration.

There was also a case where a foreign national was fined for hiding tens of millions of won inside health supplement packaging.

Following concerns raised about the potential for smuggling foreign currency using the bookmark method, Incheon Airport Customs established a dedicated department for foreign currency inspection at the end of March, and Incheon International Airport Corporation provided the necessary facilities and equipment for the crackdown.

Previously, in December of last year, President Yoon Suk Yeol inquired about countermeasures against the practice of smuggling dollars by tucking them into bookmarks during a briefing by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

At the time, President Yoon publicly reprimanded former Incheon International Airport Corporation CEO Lee Hak-jae for failing to provide a clear answer. Afterward, the former CEO countered via social media, stating, "Because of this incident, the fact that 'if you hide dollars in a bookmark, it won't be detected' has been made known to the whole world," leading to conflict.

Since then, Incheon International Airport Corporation and Incheon Airport Customs have established a dual blocking system that links security screening with X-ray analysis and have conducted campaigns to encourage voluntary declaration of foreign currency.

The number of voluntary declarations of foreign currency outflow from April to June of this year was 2,171, an increase of 16% from 1,872 cases during the same period last year.

An official from Incheon Airport Customs stated, "We are also discussing with Incheon International Airport Corporation the introduction of automated banknote detection algorithm technology utilizing artificial intelligence (AI)."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.