In the future, it will be possible to purchase duty-free goods at downtown duty-free shops with smartphone authentication without a passport.
The Korea Customs Service (KCS) announced that it implemented an amendment to the public notice on the operation of bonded stores, which contains these details, on the 31st of last month.
The Korea Customs Service has decided to allow duty-free purchases without presenting a passport for customers who use downtown duty-free shops.
Previously, you had to present your passport to purchase duty-free products at downtown duty-free shops, but from now on, you can now shop duty-free with just a simple smartphone authentication.
The smartphone authentication service will be available sequentially at duty-free shops where system development has been completed from April.
The Korea Customs Service also decided to lower the threshold so that duty-free products can be sold on other online platforms such as open markets and metabus.
Until now, duty-free shops have been able to sell online only through their own Internet malls, but in the future, they will allow all online shopping platforms, including domestic and foreign portal sites, to support sales expansion in the duty-free industry.
In the case of small and medium-sized duty-free shops, it is allowed to establish a joint Internet duty-free shop.
The deadline for duty-free shop patent fees will be extended this year following 2020-2022.
In addition, by introducing a preliminary patent system for duty-free shops, importation of duty-free goods is allowed during the facility construction phase, and support is given to start operations as soon as a patent certificate is issued.
In particular, in the case of products that are pre-ordered on a reservation basis, such as K-pop idol products, it is permitted to bring in the items after proceeding with the sale first.
This notice revision is a follow-up measure to the duty-free industry revitalization measures announced on September 14 last year.
(Photo = Yonhap News)