Breaking bad news from Customs: No to Joe's Everything but the Bagel

Korean Customs Service has announced that it will strictly enforce the ban on products containing poppy seeds, a listed narcotic in the country.

An official and a sniffer dog carries out a test run of detecting drugs at Incheon Airport on June 18. [NEWS1]

Korean customs has warned travelers against bringing in seasoning mixes or snacks that contain poppy seeds, vowing to toughen monitoring for three weeks starting from July 22 during the bustling summer holiday season.

The warning came after its policy of confiscating Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning mix made headlines in both local and foreign media outlets. Carry-on items brought in by overseas travelers will be more heavily scrutinized from July 22 to Aug. 11, Korea Customs Service said in a news release on Monday. This is because the rising number of travelers during the summer are predicted to bring in items that are either banned or surpass the duty-free allowance for individuals, according to the agency.

Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning mix [TRADER JOE'S]

The agency specifically cited seasonings and health supplements that are legal overseas but banned in Korea, and cautioned travelers against purchasing such items as they would not be allowed in.

“An analysis was conducted on a seasoning [mix] sold in the United States after an increase of the product being brought into the country was noticed,” the customs service's news release read.

“It was found to contain poppy seeds, a type of narcotic that is banned from Korea. There have been frequent cases where [such items] were retained.”

The Everything but the Bagel seasoning had actually been listed as a restricted food item from 2022 due to the classification of poppy seeds as a narcotic, even though experts say it is not possible to get a narcotic effect from the consumption of the seeds.

The crackdown on the seasoning mix started during June, after the number of travelers bringing it in increased, according to a spokesperson for the customs service.

"All bottles [of the seasoning mix] are being confiscated when identified. Check-in baggage is also screened during customs as well,” the spokesperson said.

Two women in their 50s who went to California in April this year said they came back to Korea with the seasoning mix. Lee, a housewife who only wanted to be identified by her surname, said she brought in multiple bottles through her checked baggage. Her friend, however, had her carry-on bag tested for drugs after authorities saw her seasoning mix, but eventually was allowed to go without the bottle being confiscated.

“I didn’t know there were illegal substances in it,” Lee said. “It’s a very popular seasoning mix among housewives and people have been recommending it as a must-buy souvenir from the United States. I was surprised to see how cheap it was, because its prices are inflated in Korea, and bought a lot to hand out to friends.”

A bottle of Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel seasoning mix sells at prices up to 12,000 won ($8.7) on Joonggonara, a market for secondhand goods. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A bottle of the mix now sells for an average price point of 9,666 won ($7) on Joonggonara, a market app for secondhand goods, with the cheapest priced at 7,000 won and the most expensive at 12,000 won. The same bottle costs $1.99 on Trader Joe’s website for U.S. consumers.

Korean customs also warned travelers to not bring in carry-on items that surpass the duty-free allowance per individual without announcing them. Each person has an allowance of $800 for purchases either abroad or at duty-free shops, but liquor and perfume can be purchased additionally within a separate duty-free range.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]