November 10, 2025
SEOUL – South Korea is moving to revise customs rules to allow imports of North Korean alcoholic beverages, including Koryo Doenjangsul, signaling a rare reopening of private-sector trade with the North in more than a decade.
According to the Unificaiton Ministry, a government task force — comprising the ministry, the National Tax Service, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the National Intelligence Service — met earlier this month and agreed that current safety and management standards must be revised to permit such imports.
The decision comes after a South Korean businessman attempted to bring in 3,500 bottles of two different North Korean liquor products, after obtaining approval from the Unification Ministry. They are Tuljuksul, made of Korean blueberries with 16 to 60 percent alcohol-by-volume, and Koryo Doenjangsul, a 40 percent ABV spirit which is brewed from soybean paste, or doenjang, fermented beans and ginseng. The latter is claimed by its manufacturers to have many health benefits.
Importers of food or beverages are required to submit detailed information about the manufacturing facility to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. If significant safety concerns arise, the ministry can conduct on-site inspections.
Although the businessman secured import clearance from the Unification Ministry, he failed to provide documentation from North Korean authorities identifying the manufacturing plant. As a result, the 3,500 bottles have been held at customs for the past three months.
This is the first time in 15 years the Unification Ministry allowed the private sector to engage in business with North Korea. All forms of commercial relations with Pyongyang were halted in May 2010 after North Korea sank a South Korean warship, killing 47 sailors.
Former President Moon Jae-in’s administration tried to reopen commercial ties with North Korea, but failed amid growing concerns that trade with Pyongyang could violate United Nations Security Council sanctions.
The Unification Ministry said September that the 3,500 bottles of North Korean liquor in question does not go against UNSC sanctions because alcoholic beverages are not included in the list of sanctioned items and was paid for using sugar, not cash.
However, the task force concluded that importing North Korean food or beverages under the existing framework is effectively impossible and agreed to revise relevant procedures.
“The related ministries have agreed to explore ways to permit imports while ensuring strict safety management, for instance, by applying the registration for foreign food facilities policy differently to North Korea, or by enhancing safety inspections during customs clearance,” a Unification Ministry official said.
The beverages will remain detained in customs until the new measures are finalized.
“If consultations with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety proceed smoothly, the new guidelines could be ready within a month,” the official added.