Seizure is the outcome people worry about most and understand least. In most personal shipments it involves one item being removed rather than a package disappearing, and knowing the sequence tells you what to do and what not to bother doing.
What actually gets seized
Food containing meat or fresh produce, certain plant products, counterfeit goods, unapproved medical items and devices, and hazardous goods such as aerosols or certain batteries that should not have been in air freight at all. Most seizures in personal shipments from Korea involve food products where the sender did not realise a seasoning contained meat.
What happens to the rest of the shipment
Normally the offending item is removed and the remainder continues. This is the common outcome and it is why one questionable food item does not usually destroy a whole order. Where a shipment is misdeclared as a whole, or where counterfeit goods are involved, the treatment is more serious and can affect everything in the box.
The notice you receive
A written notice is typically issued explaining what was taken and the legal basis, sometimes weeks after the shipment was delivered. It will describe any options available, which for prohibited food is usually nothing, and for other categories may include a process for contesting or for providing documentation. Deadlines on those notices are short and are stated on the document.
What to do next time
Check ingredient lists on food before including it, keep anything battery-powered out of postal channels, and never include counterfeit goods in a shipment with legitimate items. The cost of a seizure is rarely the item itself; it is the delay and the increased attention on future shipments from the same recipient. Splitting food from collectibles into separate shipments is also worth doing if you regularly send both, since it keeps the higher-risk category away from goods you cannot replace.
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Start a buy-for-me order →Frequently asked
Will I be fined?
For ordinary personal shipments with a prohibited food item, usually not, though penalties are possible particularly for repeat occurrences or misdeclaration. Counterfeit goods are treated far more seriously.
Can I get the item back?
For prohibited categories, no. For items held pending documentation rather than seized outright, supplying the documentation usually releases them.
Does a seizure affect future shipments?
It can raise the likelihood of examination on subsequent shipments to the same recipient, which means slower clearance. Accurate declarations going forward are the way that fades.