South to ease import restrictions on North Korean alcohol

South Korea will move to ease import procedures for processed food made in North Korea, including beer and wild berry liquor, in a bid to keep private-sector exchanges alive despite frozen inter-Korean ties.

Taedonggang Beer produced by North Korea's Taedonggang Brewing Company is shown in this photo released by the Choson Sinbo on Dec. 19, 2023. [CHOSON SINBO/YONHAP]

South Korea will move to ease import procedures for processed foods made in North Korea, including beer and wild berry liquor, in a bid to keep private-sector exchanges alive despite frozen inter-Korean ties.

The changes are part of revisions to the enforcement decree of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, as well as new and amended rules on import inspections and origin verification for goods traded between the two Koreas, Seoul's Ministry of Unification said on Friday.

The measures reflect discussions held since November by an interagency task force involving the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Korea Customs Service and the National Intelligence Service.

Under the proposed changes, a newly created working-level consultative body made up of the Ministry of Unification, the Korea Customs Service and other agencies will handle verification of the origin of North Korean goods. The Unification Ministry said the step reflects the reality that obtaining documents issued by North Korean authorities or companies has become virtually impossible amid severed relations.

The government will also simplify some requirements under the Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control through interagency consultations. Current rules generally require importers to submit documents such as manufacturing permits issued by the exporting country’s government and written consent for on-site inspections by South Korean food authorities.

In addition, importers will submit required documents at the stage of applying for approval to bring goods into South Korea, rather than during customs clearance.

Liquor made from bilberries in North Korea [JOONGANG ILBO]

Officials said the change should help prevent situations in which goods approved by the Ministry of Unification become stuck at customs due to unmet import requirements.

Several North Korean alcoholic products, including bilberry liquor and ginseng soybean paste liquor, remain held at an Incheon Customs warehouse despite receiving approval to enter South Korea last year.

"The liquors do not meet the requirements for import reporting and customs clearance approval,” said a Unification Ministry official, adding “we have asked the petitioner to fulfill the legally required conditions.”

At the same time, the government plans to strengthen safety inspections for North Korean food products. Authorities will require detailed inspections not only on first entry but also on re-entry, a stricter standard than for most imported food, which typically undergoes such inspections only on initial import or in exceptional cases.

A beer bottle is shown at the Taedonggang Brewing Company based in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central Television on Aug. 1, 2025. [KOREAN CENTRAL TELEVISION]

Officials said they would also closely review whether any items fall under international sanctions on North Korea. A 2017 UN Security Council resolution expanded the North’s banned export items to include food and agricultural products, but beverages such as beer and bottled water fall under different customs codes and are not automatically covered. Products made by companies listed under sanctions remain prohibited.

"When an importer applies to bring goods in through the inter-Korean exchange cooperation system, the South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association conducts a screening,” a Unification Ministry official said.

"The process filters whether the item is subject to sanctions, and if it is, provides support for the necessary procedures.”

The Ministry of Unification said the proposed changes aim to support inter-Korean trading companies under current conditions and encourage the resumption of private-sector exchanges.

It added that it would continue efforts to promote trade between the two Koreas in the civilian sector, even as broader relations remain stalled.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]