Korean Job Discussion Forums

Hootsmon · Joined: 22 Jan 2008

This may have come up before but couldn't find an exact answer on the search whatsit.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I certainly did and, being Scottish, it was no surprise that I received three bottles of rather nice, single malt whiskies. They're nicer than anything I can pick up in Korea, so I want to bring them back with me.

However, I read on the Korea customs website that you can only bring in one bottle of liquor duty free, which seems a harshly small amount. Once before I brought back one bottle in my checked luggage and I bought one in duty free and never declared anything, there was no problem. But this time, I was rather hoping to bring three in my checked luggage and grab abother in duty free after.

Therefore, I was wondering if anyone had any experience of bring back a few bottles...I'm sure someone must have. Did you declare it? How much was the duty? Did it cause you big delays in the airport? I can just post them back but the postage is almost as much as the whisky itself and I have had one bottle mysteriously disappear...

So, anyone with any experience of bringing back booze? Thanks in advance.

Jeff's Cigarettes · Joined: 27 Mar 2007

Carry it as on board luggage so it won't get broken. Then when you retrieve you main bag at the carousel just put it in there if you want to be sure. Don't choose a spot on the baggage carousel that's in plain view of the customs people. Or you could just carry it through in the same bag as you brought it in on as they never check anything if you've nothing to declare.

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

I brought back some Roderer champagne from the US - 3 bottles. I put it into checked luggage with cushioning around it. I didnt declare it and didnt get caught. It`s up to you if you want to declare or not. I was just lazy and figured they would wave me through. They did.

tiger fancini · Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Location: Testicles for Eyes

I've arrived at Incheon airport 5 times in total, and have never been asked to have my luggage checked. Last time I had a litre of Stoli from duty free in a plastic carrier bag, 2 bottles of Sangsom in my main rucksack, and about 20 Valium in my carry-on bag. Maybe I was just lucky.

cangel · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: Jeonju, S. Korea

How about beer? How many bottles, regular size, can we bring in legally?

The evil penguin · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:54 am Post subject:

Something about the notion of bringing alcohol into korea seems a bit off kilter... kinda like importing a hooker into thailand.

Disclaimer: The evil penguin has done neither....

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

Just dont mix aerosols with boozes. Aerosols seem to trigger searches in checked luggage.

Chris_Dixon · Joined: 09 Jan 2008

bangbayed · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Location: Seoul

Hootsmon · Joined: 22 Jan 2008

Cheers for the replies so far, but I think a few of the loads mentioned were legal because it was one bottle of liquor, plus other stuff. I'm just wondering if anyone managed to bring in several bottles of liquor without grief.

It would probably be cheaper to pay the duty rather than mail them from Scotland to Korea (standard airfare delivery runs at about 20 quid - 40k won - for each) but I might be willing to pay slightly more to avoid getting hassled in the airport after about 16 hours of travelling.

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

Duty could get pricey (depending if you get a cool customs person or not) but better than the mail as there`s fragility and time to worry about. Your choice if you want to be a "smuggler" or declare. Good luck and bottoms up.

SpuriousGeorge · Joined: 01 Jan 2009

Donghae · Joined: 24 Dec 2003 Location: Fukuoka, Japan

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 6:35 am Post subject:

I brought a bottle of Cruzan rum from the states and a bottle of Sangsom from Thailand. About 10 years ago, I brought 12 bottles of French and Italian wine to the states from Europe, but 6 bottles ended up broken with red wine stain all over the clothing I used to pack the bottles with. It was horrible, because it had just got broke moments before it reached the luggage carousel upon arrival as it was dripping. I screwed up by getting too greedy with how luggage on airlines works. You can take alot on a bus or train or on foot, but not planes unless it were possible to load the plane yourself like you do with buses. They throw that luggage hard, especially in America.

You can never take what you want to last a long time in a place that doesn't sell what you like as you can't carry all that. Too bad alcohol is not portable like illegal drugs. Of course, you can take what booze you can safely pack which really isn't much though you can take a little special aperitif. If it were portable, you could go to Germany or some other country and buy enough good natural chemical free beer to last a year, but the damned good stuff comes in heavy glass bottles and it takes 5 of them for a single Friday or Saturday night binge. Don't risk the illegal drugs part just becuase it appears they're portable and easy to hide as that's dancing with anxiety or something much worse. LOL

Greekfreak · Joined: 25 May 2003

Ouzo, two bottles, 1.5 litres worth.

Never got taxed, but I did have to bubble-wrap them beyond belief, and that took up a lot of space. It was worth it to me, but you may want to take 1 and keep the rest at home.