This undated file photo shows shoppers at a duty-free shop at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Travelers to South Korea will now be able to purchase products at urban duty-free shops using a smartphone authentication service, without having to show their actual passports, the customs agency said Wednesday.
The Korea Customs Service announced that the revised notice on the operation of bonded outlets was put into enforcement.
Accordingly, shoppers at downtown duty-free shops are now allowed to buy products without going through the procedure of presenting their passports.
Thus far, shoppers had to show passports to buy duty-free products at downtown shops.
From now on, however, duty-free shopping will be possible simply through smartphone authentication.
The smartphone authentication service will become available starting from the tax-free shops that complete system development in April.
The agency also plans to support duty-free operators to expand sales by enabling sales of products through other online platforms such as open markets and the metaverse.
Thus far, tax-free shops have only been allowed to sell online through their own Internet shopping sites.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
