Editor’s Note
This article highlights the recognition of Officer Ji Jong-woon from Incheon Airport Customs as the ‘Customs Officer of November’ for 2025 by the Korea Customs Service. The award follows his role in uncovering a fraudulent jewelry scheme, underscoring the critical work of customs officials in protecting borders and enforcing trade laws.
![관세청은 1일 2025년도 11월 관세인 시상식을 가졌다. [사진: 관세청]](https://cdn.sejungilbo.com/news/photo/202512/56020_88823_339.jpg)
The Korea Customs Service (KCS) held the ‘Customs Officer of November’ award ceremony for 2025 on the 1st and selected Officer Ji Jong-woon from Incheon Airport Customs for the honor.
Officer Ji was recognized for his contribution to blocking illicit trade by uncovering seven companies that had exported 283.9 billion won worth of precious metal jewelry products, manufactured in a third country, by falsely declaring them as domestically produced to avoid high U.S. tariffs.
The KCS also awarded other officials for outstanding achievements in their respective fields.
– General Administration: Officer Chae Hyeong-jun from Seoul Customs was recognized for supporting domestic SMEs’ entry into the Japanese market by hosting online/offline market entry briefings and guiding them on simplified maritime shipping procedures.
– Customs Investigation: Officer Ahn Joon from Incheon Customs was selected for apprehending a smuggling ring that illegally imported a total of 1,631 tons of agricultural products and other goods worth 51 billion won, hidden inside 126 containers using the ‘curtain method’ (declaring legitimate goods at the entrance while hiding contraband inside).
– Drug Enforcement: Officer Kim Yong-gi from Incheon Airport Customs was selected for detecting a total of 24.3 kg of narcotics, including 20.8 kg of methamphetamine (enough for 693,000 simultaneous doses), 1.7 kg of ketamine, and 1.7 kg of MDMA, through precise X-ray analysis.
– Clearance Inspection: Officer Park Bong-seon from Incheon Customs was recognized for preemptively blocking 28,000 illegal products worth 150 million won, such as uncertified batteries with unconfirmed safety, during the clearance stage.
– Customs Audit: Officer Choi Hyeong-dong from Gwangju Customs was selected for detecting tax evasion by analyzing leased semiconductor equipment with no prior seizure records.
– Logistics Surveillance: Officer Lim O-hyeok from Pyeongtaek Direct Customs was selected for planning three major management reinforcement measures in the port surveillance field to help establish port order.
– Regional Customs: Officer Shin Ha-young from Gumi Customs was selected for confirming that the price of domestically acquired goods was overstated compared to the import price, leading the taxpayer to voluntarily pay 257 million won in taxes.
The KCS stated that it plans to continue discovering and rewarding employees who contribute to the development of customs administration through fair, performance-based evaluations regardless of department, rank, or duty, thereby supporting a shift in the public service culture towards ‘practicality and performance.’
