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South Korea and Japan Customs Chiefs Meet in Seoul to Advance Trade Cooperation
Customs agency leaders from South Korea and Japan convened in Seoul for their first meeting since new governments took office. They agreed to collaborate on implementing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and developing electronic systems for origin certifications. Discussions also covered blocking illegal goods and enhancing regional agency exchanges.
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South Korea and Japan's customs agency chiefs met in Seoul on Thursday, agreeing to collaborate on the swift implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement among 15 Asia-Pacific nations including South Korea, Japan, China and Australia, Yonhap reported.
The meeting, held between Korea Customs Service Commissioner Lee Myeong-ku and his Japanese counterpart Mitsuhiro Teraoka, marked the first such gathering since the inauguration of new governments in both countries, according to the Korea Customs Service.
The two sides committed to starting discussions on systems for exchanging origin certifications electronically as part of their RCEP efforts.
They also agreed to convene regular meetings focused on measures to block the inflow of illegal or harmful goods between the two countries. In addition, the senior officials addressed ways to enhance exchanges between regional customs agencies from South Korea and Japan.
After the meeting in Seoul, Lee Myeong-ku and Mitsuhiro Teraoka posed for a photo, which was provided by the South Korean customs agency on April 24, 2026.
The discussions took place amid a surge in cross-border e-commerce shipments, with the officials touching on measures to strengthen economic security, Yonhap reported.
