Korea Customs Declaration 2026: Undeclared Meat or Sausage Fine Up to ₩10 Million (Rule Since June 2019)

A traveler who has just landed at Incheon Airport tucks a half-eaten piece of salami sausage, saved from the in-flight meal, into a suitcase pocket and walks out of the arrival hall. With all the bags collected and nothing that seems worth declaring, they head straight for the "nothing to declare" lane. What they don't realize is that a single piece of sausage can turn into a fine of up to ₩10,000,000.

At a Glance: Items that must be declared — fresh meat, ham, sausage, jerky and other livestock products or processed foods · Fine for failing to declare them: up to ₩10,000,000 · In effect since June 1, 2019 · If you're carrying any of these, report them at the quarantine counter inside the arrival hall.

It's tempting to think a single piece of salami doesn't matter, but Korea's Act on the Prevention of Livestock Epidemics — a law meant to keep animal diseases from entering the country from abroad — applies to every arriving traveler, regardless of nationality. Fresh meat, ham, sausage, jerky and even some dairy products all have to be declared, and since June 2019, anyone caught bringing them in without going through the customs declaration form or the quarantine counter faces a fine of up to ₩10 million.

The rule is this strict because diseases such as African Swine Fever — which only affects pigs, kills nearly all infected animals, and has no vaccine — can enter the country through travelers' meat products. Quarantine officers actively use detector dogs and X-ray scanners in the arrival hall to find undeclared livestock items.

If your luggage contains any meat- or dairy-based snacks, the safer move is to declare them at the quarantine counter rather than hope no one notices. Thinking "it's such a small amount, it'll be fine" is exactly what turns into a ₩10 million fine — something worth remembering before you even pack your bag for your first trip to Korea.