Korea Post stops U.S. deliveries

[Anchor]

Starting next week, the Korea Post will suspend parcel and express mail services to the United States.

The sudden halt is due to insufficient time to respond to the new U.S. customs policy that applies to parcels and express mail.

Now, let's find out how to send items to the U.S. in the future, as reporter Hwang Jeong-ho explains in detail.

[Report]

Beginning next Monday, the 25th, the Korea Post will stop sending air parcels and international mail services, including EMS, to the United States.

The reason for this sudden suspension is that the Korea Post did not have enough time to prepare its system for the new U.S. customs policy applicable to items sent to the U.S.

Until now, items valued under $800 were exempt from customs duties, but starting from midnight on the 29th, all items, except for documents and letters, will be subject to customs duties.

The Korea Post has explained that it is currently difficult to implement this in the international mail system.

Now, the only option for sending parcels to the U.S. is the 'EMS Premium' service.

While the Korea Post will accept the packages, the transportation will be handled by an international courier company partnered with the Korea Post, which is currently UPS. This company has its own customs clearance system, allowing for delivery.

So, how will the fees change?

In simple terms, the heavier the package (over 4.5 kg), the cheaper it becomes compared to the international mail service, while lighter packages become more expensive.

For example, sending a 1.5 kg item to the U.S. will cost 49,500 won with the international mail service (EMS), but the premium service will cost 63,700 won, which is about 14,000 won or approximately 28% more expensive.

Conversely, for a 5.5 kg package, it will be about 10% cheaper.

Since it is a premium service, the delivery time is reduced by an average of about 3 days compared to regular air parcels.

However, the recipient will have to pay the customs duties for this service.

This means that international students receiving parcels from their parents or U.S. residents purchasing Korean products directly will bear the customs costs.

Considering this situation, the Korea Post plans to introduce a lower-cost product that is cheaper than EMS Premium within a month or two.

This is Hwang Jeong-ho from KBS News.