Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Freakstar]

Just out of curiosity, have any of you had problems with receiving international packages? Any issues with Korean customs? Care packages containing clothes, food, pharmaceutical drugs, books, dvds, etc? Was anything seized or returned? If so, what was it? Thanks.

[Skipperoo]

No problems so far. I've had food and tea bags sent over from my parents.

[nathanrutledge]

I cringe every time I see a post like this.

http://english.customs.go.kr/

This is the website. Go there and do your homework.

I say this because food and pharmaceutical drugs raise HUGE red flags. Prepared, packaged foods are generally okay. Fruits/vegetables and products of animal origin are generally NOT okay. I don't think that I need to explain how mailing DRUGS to yourself is a horrible idea. First, any drug that you legitimately need is available in Korea and probably at a much cheaper price than back home. Second, many drugs that are easy to get back home are restricted here (and vice-versa). So please, don't send yourself drugs. What may be legal and fine back home could land you in jail here (not necessarily for the drug itself but for a lack of prescription/having too much, etc) and reinforce the stereotype that English teachers are drug addled pill poppers.

As to the question about having troubles. Yeah, I've found that anything sent by FedEx or UPS is held, but if it's sent by the Postal Service it generally arrives unmolested. The biggest issue is the 150,000 won value limit. That INCLUDES the price to ship it, so if it costs 100 dollars to ship, with the exchange rate that leaves you with about 30,000 won of stuff. My first year here, my father sent me a birthday present. Cheapest option he could find at the time was 120 dollars for shipping, so my birthday present was held at customs and I had to pay tax for it.

Generally, nothing will be seized unless it's illegal. If it IS seized, you won't be getting it back. Depending on what it is will determine what, if anything, happens to you. Again, if it's just general banned items like fruits/vegetables/animal products, that's the end of it. If it's illegal, like drugs or pornography, then you could be in some trouble.

Read the website for the nitty gritty details.

[Freakstar]

[isisaredead]

i've got eletronic goods from china with no problems.

[wishfullthinkng]

one of my buddies had some delicious beef jerky sent to him. this got me craving it so badly i bought around 50 dollars worth in bulk and tried to have it mailed to me. unlike his, mine never got to me and somewhere in incheon a bunch of people were snacking on the most delicious jerky ever created.

[edwardcatflap]

You can buy that stuff here can't you?

[wishfullthinkng]

not this beef jerky. it's mind blowingly delicious. it's light years beyond anything i can find in korea. in fact it's way beyond most jerky in the states too.

http://www.minguabeefjerky.com/

[northway]

I've had them do some weird stuff before. My mom, not realizing you couldn't send dairy/meat across international borders through the post (and against my warnings that it wasn't kosher), sent me some salami and cheese. I got a letter saying that they'd destroyed the stuff. Then, about three weeks later, I got a package with my cheese in it, without the sausage, with a pamphlet listing banned items including cheese. Even better, they didn't even destroy the sausage: my parents got it back in the mail about a month later.

[Kennyftw]

[edwardcatflap]

The first, and only time, I tried it was here so I thought that was the norm.

[cj1976]

Do these taxes count for used products too? I was thinking about getting some used guitar pedals from ebay, rather than pay the extortionate cost here.

[GoldMember]

As a previous person said, if its UPS or Fedex, you'll get raped by customs.
Had a camera come by DHL, though no problem.
For electrical stuff, get it unpacked and have the value declared as a $1 - warranty repair.
If the customs people open up the package they'll repack it in such a way that everything will be damaged.
Best is postage, and keep the weight down (below 3 kg). If multiple items, spread it over a few packages.
If you get busted, you'll be red flagged at customs, and then they'll inspect EVERYTHING, so you'll need to send stuff in a different name.

[whitestboyalive]

I paid 250,000 won on software and got dinged 50,000 won duty!!!

[hwarangi]

They really take the postal charge into account? That's ridiculous. I just want to post some of my clothes and things, but it will cost me over $200 from Aust. Can they tell the postal charge if it's not on the package?