• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.185-201
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• 2021

This paper analyzes the penalty tax system under the Customs Act of Korea and examines whether the penalty tax provision violate the constitutional principle of proportionality when imposed on a person who does not made import declaration intentionally or travelers who has not been made an import declaration of their carry-on items. It examines the provisions that adopt a penalty tax as a means to secure the effectiveness of the customs law. In relation to penalty tax, the case studies of the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court of Korea are analyzed by major issues such as the legal nature of the penalty tax, whether the penalty tax is unconstitutional, and the reasons for exemption from the penalty tax. There is no reasonable basis for the high penalty tax imposed on travelers' carry-on items for which import declaration has not been made. It is necessary to unify the penalty tax imposed when an import declaration is not made and the penalty tax on traveler's carry-on items. It is necessary to establish a limit on penalty tax and to create new regulations to exempt or reduce penalty tax when punished by administrative punishment to avoid double jeopardy. It is necessary to effectively secure the effectiveness of the Customs Act by converting the penalty tax into civil penalty that does not presuppose the faithful and accurate performance of tax obligations by the taxpayer. The government revised the penalty tax system in the Customs Act in 2019, but there are still many types of penalty tax and there are elements that are unconstitutional. It seems that the Korean government should lower the burden on the people by improving the system for the penalty tax system.