South Korea to streamline procedures for entry of North Korean food products

SEOUL – South Korea is moving to streamline procedures for bringing in North Korean food products, as part of broader efforts to ease a prolonged gridlock in relations with the North through incremental inter-Korean exchanges.

The Ministry of Unification said on Jan 16 it had issued a legislative notice for a revision to the Enforcement Decree of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, aimed at simplifying approval procedures for the entry of such goods.

Under the proposed revision, documents that were previously required at the final stage of entry into South Korea, including import and customs clearance, will now have to be submitted upfront when applying for approval.

The move is aimed at avoiding last-minute delays or conflicting assessments among relevant authorities at later stages of the import process.

The ministry also said it would strengthen inspection requirements for food safety and origin to address public concerns, including questions about the authenticity of North Korean food products.

The measures follow months of discussions conducted by an inter-agency task force involving relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the National Intelligence Service, the ministry added.

“The government will continue efforts to promote the resumption and activation of private-sector exchanges between the two Koreas,” the ministry said, adding that it plans to implement the revised decree and related notices in February.

Officials stressed that the move does not signal a resumption of large-scale commercial trade with North Korea, which remains restricted under international sanctions, but is instead aimed at clarifying administrative procedures at the private level.

“It also does not apply to goods that enter through third-country customs and are recorded as North Korean imports,” a ministry official said. “It is intended to clarify procedures for handling cases involving goods ‘circulating’ in third countries.”

UN Security Council Resolutions 2371 and 2397, adopted in 2017, expanded the ban on exports from North Korea, with no exemptions for agricultural, fish or food products.

Accordingly, items regarded as originating in North Korea remain subject to sanctions even if they pass through third countries such as China or Russia, and such transactions could be interpreted as evading sanctions.

The same official explained that in countries such as China, where North Korean vessels frequently operate, goods may be exchanged without monetary transactions using items that are not subject to UN sanctions, including basic commodities such as sugar.

“In such cases, the revised procedures are meant to help authorities assess approval applications more clearly, provided the movement of goods can be verified as transshipment rather than export and that no economic benefit accrues to North Korea,” the official said.

The announcement, however, drew criticism from the main opposition People Power Party.

“Any compensation paid for North Korean agricultural products that reach our dining tables could be diverted to funding nuclear weapons and missile development, eventually returning as threats targeting our citizens and allies,” party spokesperson Kim Hyo-eun said in a statement on Jan 16.

“The government appears to be overlooking the fact that sanctions against North Korea are not mere diplomatic rhetoric, but the minimum safety mechanism agreed upon by the international community to curb the advancement of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs,” Ms Kim added.

“The public wants a safe South Korea free from nuclear threats, not North Korean mushrooms.”

Dr Nam Sung-wook, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University, described the measure as largely symbolic given the current state of inter-Korean relations.

“In practice, substantive exchanges with North Korea have been virtually suspended for years,” Dr Nam said. “Still, the measure can be seen as a symbolic signal that the current administration intends to improve inter-Korean relations and is preparing institutional ground for that possibility.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK