Company representative sentenced for false lobster import declarations

A representative of a company has been sentenced to eight months in prison with a two-year probation for violating customs laws by misreporting frozen chicken shrimp as lobster. The Busan District Court ruled that the individual, in his 50s, falsely declared approximately 84 tons of frozen chicken shrimp—valued at 2.326 billion won—as lobster to bypass necessary quarantine procedures.

The defendant had attempted to engage in intermediary trade, intending to export the goods to China after obtaining hygiene certificates once they entered the country. Although the defense argued that no smuggling occurred because the goods were not intended for domestic distribution, the court rejected this claim, noting the frequency of the offenses and the defendant's prior criminal record.