Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pest2]

a couple of years ago, on the way to Eastern Europe from Incheon to do a bike tour, they actually opened up my bike box I WAS CHECKING and took my allen keys. I needed those keys to put the bike together... I spent an entire day walking around Krakow trying to find an allen key set.

[blaseblasphemener]

Flew from Incheon to Vancouver with shaving cream, toothpaste, lotion, all in plain site. No worries. Get told I can't take that stuff on my 15 minute flight from Vancouver to Victoria. And people say Koreans have no sense.

[insam]

i don't have a problem with the regulations except that if you purchase it inside the airport security area, they should not confiscate it. they took my green tea i had just purchased at narita. i'm glad it wasn't some expensive sake. under that interpretation, the liquor you purchase at the duty free shops is game.

[dogshed]

[Richard Krainium]

[khyber]

my 63 year old mother on her way to an all inclusive mexican resort had her sewing needles confiscated.

[Tokki1]

I still don't understand why I can't bring my industrial-strength pesticides in my carry-on baggage. It's fascism.

[whatever]

[Qinella]

[elliemk]

Just thought I would check, as I would like to bring some of my favorites.
Thanks.

[princess]

[princess]

Also, many Koreans are good people, but many of them are not. Don't ever expect a Korean airport worker to have sympathy for you/your situation. Remember, if yoou are not part of their inner circle, friend/family/coworker, you are nothing, just like a rock on the side of the road. I once had $1500 stolen from my purse in LA on the way to Seoul. I thought I picked my purse up when I got off the plane, but realized I didn't have it when I got over to the international terminal of Los Angeles airport. I had to go all the way back to domestic to get my purse, and when they gave it to me, the money was gone. I had to go ahead and get on the plane with about $400 to my name. The American lady talking with me in the airport told me I better get back over to the international terminal because she said the Korean airport employees would have zero sympathy for my situation.

[bluelake]

I've never had anything taken from my carry-on. A few years ago, I had a strange situation with my check-in, though.

I was bringing several archery bows back to the States and had them boxed and checked in. I didn't think anything else of it after that... That is, until I heard my name called over the loudspeaker and told to go to my gate's counter, which I did.

The girl at the counter asked me if I had arrows in a checked in box; I told her no, that I had some bows. She said I had to go back to the customs checking area, so I followed an airline person back past immigration and security to that place. I saw my box of bows sitting up on top of the x-ray scanner. The customs agent asked, "What's in there?" I told him. He said, "You have to report weapons!" I told him they were weapons in name only because, without strings or arrows, they were little more than sticks. They told me to fill out a declaration form, with a description, cost, manufacturer, etc. I was more than a little irritated. I said to them, "I don't understand what the deal is, as it shouldn't be your worry that there are bows going to the U.S. That will be the worry of US Customs and they won't care! If someone is able to get in the hold of the plane and get to my bows, you have a much more serious problem than some useless sticks in a box!" They still had me fill out the forms. I got back to my plane as the last people boarded.

My favorite payback was when my son and I came back to Korea once and I had a tube filled with antique arrows that were bound for an archery museum in Paju. The customs officer took out one that had a sharp broadhead, touched the tip and shook his hand as if in pain. He said, "You can't bring these in--they are dangerous weapons! They could be used by terrorists!" After laughing at the idea of terrorists wanting 200 year old arrows, I informed him that I could, indeed, bring them into Korea with no restriction. He said, "No, you can't!" I further informed him that I could have much sharper arrows made in Korea freely. He assured me I couldn't. I told him I had arrows shipped to me many times and they went through customs with no problem, to which he said that was impossible.

After tiring of his ignorance, I requested that he bring the customs manual. He said, "It's written in Korean." I told him it was o.k., as I could read Korean. He was a bit flustered, but got the manual and flipped to the section where archery items were listed. I quickly ran my finger down the page to where it stated that crossbows were restricted, but Olympic and traditional archery equipment were exempt. He slammed the book shut and stormed over to a gaggle of customs officers.

After a time, an underling came over and asked me what my job was. I said I taught in a university. He said, "You are professor. You not dangerous. You can go." I packed up my stuff and headed out the door.

[Julius]

Somewhere at manilla there is a poverty stricken airport official who sells trolley loads of confiscated shampoo, scissors and toiletries on the street every evening.

[R-Seoul]

Probably Michelle.