Korea, Republic of Member profile
Status of notification in the reporting periods
2010-2012
2012-2014
2014-2016
2016-2018
2018-2020
2020-2022
2022-2024
2024-2026
Notification information
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Korea, Republic of
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30/10/2024
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2024-2026
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Korea, Republic of
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30/09/2022
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2022-2024
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Korea, Republic of
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29/03/2022
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2020-2022
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Korea, Republic of
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07/12/2021
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2020-2022
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Korea, Republic of
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23/10/2020
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2020-2022
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Korea, Republic of
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09/10/2020
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2020-2022
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Korea, Republic of
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15/09/2020
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2018-2020
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Korea, Republic of
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20/08/2020
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2018-2020
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Korea, Republic of
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10/07/2020
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2018-2020
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Korea, Republic of
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17/06/2020
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2018-2020
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Korea, Republic of
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10/04/2020
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2018-2020
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Korea, Republic of
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27/09/2019
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2018-2020
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Korea, Republic of
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15/10/2012
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2012-2014
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Types of restrictions
All biennial periods and all notifications
Top 10 HS chapters notified
All biennial periods and all notifications
Top 10 WTO justifications notified
All biennial periods and all notifications
Top 10 Non-WTO commitments notified
All biennial periods and all notifications
QR details
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Trade policy review
Latest Trade Policy Review (Report by the WTO Secretariat): WT/TPR/S/414/Rev.1
A. Import prohibitions and restrictions and import licensing
3.56.
Korea prohibits certain imports (prohibition except under defined conditions), mainly to protect human, animal, and plant life and health; safeguard the environment; and comply with other international commitments. These product categories include: (i) narcotics, psychotropic drugs, cannabis, and precursors; (ii) defence materials; (iii) certain chemicals; and (iv) pollutants.[193] Korea does not maintain any trade embargoes with other countries. Between 2017 and 2020, there was no trade with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.[194]
3.57.
Korea has maintained certain import bans on the importation of food products from Japan since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident (Section 3.3.3.2); WTO dispute settlement proceedings, initiated by Japan on 21 May 2015, were finalized in 2019.[195]
3.58.
Following the January 2015 rice market liberalization through tariffication, during the review period the regime in place continued to operate through a tariff rate quota of 5% (408,700 tonnes per year) and a virtually prohibitive 513% out-of-quota duty (see below and Sections 3.1.3.8, 4.1.2.1.1, and 4.1.3.1).[196] After five years of bilateral negotiations, in January 2020, Korea concluded the process of modification and rectification of its Schedule of Concessions (Section 3.1.3.4), which now incorporates the TRQ on rice imports, and received consent from WTO Members.[197] MAFRA has been the only organization in charge of importing and managing minimum market access (MMA) commitments on rice since 1995 (Section 3.3.5.1); its agency, aT, is in charge of rice trading.[198] Imported rice is procured through open bidding; rice for table use is sold by aT through open bidding, and rice for food processing by local authorities by MAFRA.[199] Annual rice imports under the MMA commitments stood at 408,700 tonnes; actual imports rose from to 449,355 tonnes in 2018 to 449,666 in 2019.[200]
3.59.
According to data provided by the authorities, the cost of rice producers' protection in terms of consumer burden, i.e. the ratio of the domestic price compared to the international price, rose from 1.94 in 2015 to 2.52 in 2019. At the time of the previous TPR, the authorities indicated that, as Korea continued to impose the in-quota tariff of 5% after tariffication, the implementation of the 513% out-of-quota rate would not affect the ratio; most of the imported rice is in-quota.[201]
3.60.
During the review period, the legislative framework in this area was expanded and revised.[202] Import approval or authorization continues to be governed by the Foreign Trade Act and 64 other laws (56 in 2016).[203] The MOTIE regularly updates the Export-Import Notice that lists items under import restriction; as of April 2021, the only item on the list remained aircraft parts. MOTIE also updates the Consolidated Public Notice containing all export and import certification requirements. Import licensing procedures are maintained to: (i) protect public morals; (ii) protect human, animal, and plant life and health, hygiene, and sanitation; (iii) protect aquatic animal and aquatic plant health; (iv) safeguard the environment; (v) protect national security; and (vi) comply with international commitments.[204] In 2016, these requirements covered some 3,000 six-digit HS tariff items, including petroleum, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), agricultural fertilizers, crop seeds, animals and animal products, nuclear materials, narcotics, foods and food additives, foreign publications, firearms, and explosives; no recent data were available from the authorities.
3.61.
The export control system on strategic items that also have import-related implications was modified by revising the Foreign Trade Act and related regulations (i.e. the Regulations on Export Control of Strategic Goods) in September 2019 and June 2020 (Section 3.2.3.2).[205]
3.62.
Implementation of Korea's import approval and authorization regime is the responsibility of 15 ministries and/or agencies, an increase from 13 in 2016 due to the reorganization and restructuring of some agencies.[206] As indicated by the authorities at the time of the previous Review, import licence applications are screened or checked in a "fair" manner.
3.63.
During the review period, Korea submitted 39 notifications on new laws and regulations, as well as two Replies to the Questionnaire on Import Licensing Procedures (for 2019 and 2020) to the WTO Committee on Import Licensing.[207]
B. Export prohibitions and restrictions
3.75.
During the review period, the negative list of banned exports remained unchanged. Pursuant to Korea's WTO notification, export prohibitions, affecting 11 six-digit HS items, are in place to, inter alia: protect animal rights (e.g. dog fur skins and their products); protect human, animal, plant life or health (e.g. whale meat and its products, defence materials, and narcotics and drugs); and preserve natural resources (e.g. uncut pieces of natural granite stones).[235] Korea also prohibits exports of books, videos, records, and other similar goods that interfere with constitutional and public order and public safety, and corrupt public morals; goods that infringe upon IPRs; goods containing confidential government information or that are utilized in intelligence operations; and counterfeit, forged, or copied currencies, bonds, and securities.[236]
3.76.
In response to domestic needs related to the global outbreak of COVID‑19 pandemic, Korea introduced a temporary export ban (entirely lifted on 23 October 2020) on surgical and sanitary masks, filtering respirators and melt blown filters in accordance with Article XI:2(a) and Article XX(b) of the GATT.[237] These prohibitions were initially imposed for the period from 6 March to 31 May 2020 to prevent a critical shortage of PPE; they were lifted as of 23 October 2020. As production volume increased, the prohibition was gradually replaced by a prohibition except under defined conditions. As of 18 June 2020, Korea lifted the restriction on filtering respirator producers and those who have concluded contracts with the producers for the purpose of exportation and allowed to export up to 30% of the total daily production volume of filtering respirators. Later this measure was revised and, as of 12 July 2020, filtering respirators were allowed for exportation on the condition that producers' monthly export volume does not exceed 50% of the monthly average production volume of the domestic filtering respirators in the last two months, unless it is for government-approved humanitarian purposes. Similarly, with the stabilization of mask supply, exports of surgical and anti‑droplet masks were allowed on identical conditions as of 15 September 2020.[238]
3.77.
The export ban on melt blown filters was extended until 5 August 2020. As of 6 August 2020, producers and those who have concluded contracts with the producers for the purpose of exportation have been allowed to export only melt blown filters for filtering respirators on the condition that their monthly export volume does not exceed 15% of the monthly average production volume of the melt blown filters in the last two months. A producer who wants to export melt blown filters for filtering respirators in excess of the allowable amount must obtain prior approval from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy according to the relevant regulation. Exports of melt blown filters for surgical masks and Spunbond Meltblown Spunbond (SMS) filters have been prohibited until 22 October 2020. Also all overseas shipments of surgical, sanitary, and anti-droplet masks for humanitarian purposes were allowed to be exported after consulting with MOTIE and obtaining approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).[239]
3.78.
As per Korea's notifications to the WTO in 2020, sand and gravel-related items, endangered species, waste, and persistent organic pollutants remain subject to non-automatic licensing to protect natural resources and human, animal, and plant life and health.[240]
3.79.
Approval from competent institutions is required for the export of goods under the Directive on the Designation of Goods Subject to Customs Confirmation of Clearance Requirements and Methods of the Confirmation under Article 226 of the Customs Act or goods subject to export control under Article 19 of the Foreign Trade Act or other relevant laws. These goods include ginseng seeds, goods subject to foreign exchange control, and animals.[241]
3.80.
Korea may restrict exports of certain products periodically to ensure adequate domestic supplies, again potentially assisting downstream processing of these products. During the review period, no quantitative export restrictions for rice or any other agricultural products were in place, as Article 2-2 of the Implementing Regulation of the Grain Management Act and a related notification requirement were repealed in March 2015. Until that time, rice was the only product requiring export authorization (termed a "recommendation" by the authorities).
3.81.
As Korea is a member of all four major international export control systems (Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (WA), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Australia Group (AG)), exports of military items, nuclear-related items, and dual-use items for international peace and security require approval. They include certain electronics; specified computers and related equipment; telecommunication and information security systems; sensors and lasers; navigation and avionics systems; and marine, aerospace, and propulsion systems.[242] Export approval from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy is also required for specific chemicals and biological agents, as Korea is a member of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention.[243]
3.82.
According to the authorities, with a view to complying with the basic principles of the international export control system as well as strengthening export controls, MOTIE modified the export control system on strategic items by revising the Foreign Trade Act and related regulations (i.e. the Regulations on Export Control of Strategic Goods) in September 2019 and June 2020. First, the revised regulations subdivided the regions exporting strategic items from the previous A and B into A-1, A-2, and B; the purpose of this revision was to enhance export controls for countries with which there are difficulties in international coordination (e.g. countries operating systems against the basic principles of international export control systems). When it comes to documents that exporters are required to submit when applying for export approval, three types of documents are required for economies designated as A-1, five for those at A-2, and seven for those at B. In addition, the period required to process an individual export approval is 5 or fewer days for A-1 economies, and 15 or fewer days for both A-2 and B. Second, the modifications clarified certain matters relating to Catch-All controls. Third, with a view to improving the quality of self-classification (accuracy, etc.), the completion of pre-training courses became mandatory when an entity makes a self-classification. The authorities indicate that, the same as other major countries with an export control system, Korea categorizes countries into export regions and differentiates the review period, necessary information, required documentation, etc. In this context, following the September 2019 revision, national categories became more diversified, and countries were reclassified. Korea conducts strict reviews for all countries, but the review period and required documentation differ according to the category where the country is classified. Companies affected by these recent regulatory changes are not predetermined; the authorities provided information and guidelines on these changes beforehand to companies exporting strategic items so that they proceed smoothly and without unnecessary difficulties in their operations. At the time of the previous Review, the Regulations' amendments had involved, inter alia: the revision of the definition of eligibility for an export licence; the expansion of exemptions from the export licence requirement; the exemption from the export licence requirement of the transfer of strategic technology to the expatriate employees and executives who have an employment agreement with a Korean entity; and the list of the National Core Technologies whose export is controlled under the Act on Prevention of Leakage and Protection of Industrial Technology. As of 2015, a total of 47 technology categories were listed; no recent data were available from the authorities.
WTO's environmental database (EDB)
The EDB contains environment-related measures that may qualify as QRs and therefore should be notified under the QR Decision.