Seoul: South Korea's customs agency announced on Monday that it has uncovered trade security violations amounting to 770.3 billion won (US$503 million) in the first five months of this year. This effort aligns with the government's initiative to eliminate illegal trade activities.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) revealed that this record-high figure represents a significant increase from the 655.6 billion won reported for all of 2025. This surge follows an intensive crackdown on exports involving falsified countries of origin and illicit shipments of strategic items.

The KCS detailed that 527.3 billion won worth of cases involved foreign-made goods imported into South Korea and falsely labeled as Korean-made for export. These violations aim to exploit the brand image of South Korean products while circumventing import regulations, high tariffs, anti-dumping measures, or countervailing duties.

Additionally, the agency reported discovering 243 billion won worth of attempted unauthorized exports of strategic items during the same period. This figure surpasses the 198.3 billion won recorded for all of 2025. The agency emphasized the growing necessity for export controls amid intensifying global conflicts and technological competition among advanced nations, prompting increased surveillance and crackdowns.