Almost 11 tons of Kimchi were confiscated in South Korea last year

Almost 11 tons of Kimchi were confiscated in South Korea last year

in South Korea, where the love of culinary delay is strongly pronounced, an unusual problem at the airports causes headlines. At one of the busiest airports in the country, the Incheon International Airport, security officers not only confiscated liquids and gels, but also an essential food of Korean cuisine: kimchi.

Last year the staff at incheon international Airport (ICN) a total of 10.7 tons of Kimchi from passengers that violate the ban on liquids in hand luggage. The reason for this is that Kimchi is often packed in bottles or plastic bags and swims in a sharp sauce, which means that it is considered a liquid.

Additional confiscations of fermented products

In addition, the airport authorities stated that they also confiscated 10.5 tons of Jang in the course of 2023, a term that comprises a large number of traditional fermented sauces and pastes. A YouTube video of a popular Korean travel influencer, the traveler reminds that Kimchi may only be handed in at check-in, achieved 1.2 million views.

handling of confiscated foods

The confiscated foods are either disposed of or donated to a local social center together with other confiscated objects, according to the airport authorities.

other food rates in South Korea

This is not the first time that the Korean authorities take a strict position on popular food products. In 2024, Korean Air, the national airline, announced that it ramyeon-noodles in the Economy-Class on long-haul flights. The reason for this is the increasing turbulence that makes it too dangerous to serve this snack - made by adding boiling water.

forbidden souvenirs from the USA

Travelers who wanted to bring the popular seasoning mix "Everything But the Bagel" by Trader Joe’s from the USA to South Korea also had problems with the authorities. This product, which is only sold in the United States, went viral on Tikok and is very popular with returnees from America as a "souvenir". Due to the poppy seed, an oil seed banned in Korea, the seasoning mixture for illegal explains .

warnings for travelers

A South Korean blogger reported that she brought 20 bottles of this seasoning mix after visiting the USA. But the bottles were pulled off the baggage risk with a yellow lock and later confiscated by the officials. In the meantime, warning signs in Korean and English have been placed in the entire terminal, the travelers pointed out not to bring the mixture "Everything But the Bagel" into the country.