South Korea — All Categories
South Korea received 239 FDA import refusals across all food categories between 2024-Q1 and 2026-Q4. Volume peaked at 40 in 2025-Q3, with the trend rising year-on-year. The most-cited issues are poisonous or deleterious substance, no process filing, and not in English. No trade baseline is published for some of South Korea's categories, so no per-$1B rate is shown for the origin total.
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Key figures
- Hazard or paperwork
- Of these, 117 were hazard refusals and 122 were paperwork refusals.
Quarterly refusals, last 12 quarters
Show the numbers
| Quarter | Refusals | Hazard | Paperwork |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-Q1 | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 2024-Q2 | 26 | 9 | 17 |
| 2024-Q3 | 16 | 8 | 8 |
| 2024-Q4 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025-Q1 | 12 | 4 | 8 |
| 2025-Q2 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| 2025-Q3 | 40 | 27 | 13 |
| 2025-Q4 | 17 | 9 | 8 |
| 2026-Q1 | 37 | 14 | 23 |
| 2026-Q2 | 35 | 11 | 24 |
| 2026-Q3 | 25 | 14 | 11 |
| 2026-Q4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
By year
| Year | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 99 |
| 2025 | 80 |
| 2024 | 60 |
| 2023 | 101 |
| 2022 | 51 |
| 2021 | 80 |
| 2020 | 98 |
By category, last 156 weeks
| Category | Refusals | Per $1B US imports | Most-cited hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables and Vegetable Products | 83 | — | Listeria monocytogenes |
| Fishery/Seafood Products | 36 | — | HACCP failure |
| Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans | 27 | — | unapproved new drug |
| Soft Drinks and Waters | 18 | — | nutrition labeling |
| Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements | 11 | — | not in English |
| Fruit and Fruit Products | 11 | — | pesticide residue |
| Candy Without Chocolate, Candy Specialties, and Chewing Gum | 10 | — | unsafe color additive |
| Snack Food Items (Flour, Meal, or Vegetable Base) | 10 | — | listing refusal |
| Macaroni and Noodle Products | 7 | — | refused establishment inspection |
| Multiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet) | 5 | — | no process filing |
| Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings | 5 | — | undeclared allergen |
| Spices, Flavors, and Salts | 4 | — | preservative not declared |
| Soups | 4 | — | no process filing |
| Whole Grains, Milled Grain Products, and Starch | 4 | — | no process filing |
| Coffee and Tea | 4 | — | FSVP violation |
| Beverage Bases | 3 | — | no process filing |
| Vegetable Oils (Includes Olive Oil) | 3 | — | listing refusal |
| Baby (Infant and Junior) Food Products | 2 | — | refused establishment inspection |
| Filled Milk and Imitation Milk Products | 2 | — | listing refusal |
| Dressings and Condiments | 1 | — | refused establishment inspection |
| Cereal Preparations, Breakfast Foods | 1 | — | nutrition labeling |
Recent refusals
- U47-2605538-5 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. poisonous or deleterious substance
- U47-2605541-9 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. poisonous or deleterious substance
- U47-2605787-8 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. poisonous or deleterious substance
- U47-2604605-3 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DNEI. poisonous or deleterious substance
- 1FX-2008624-6 MEAL REPLACEMENTS (NOT LABELED FOR TREATMENT OF DISEASE)Dietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements. Import division DSEI. not in English
- B7S-2605071-7 MUSSELSFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. filthSalmonella
- EVJ-1265443-3 MIXED SPICES AND SEASONINGS, LIQUID, WITH SALT, N.E.C.Spices, Flavors, and Salts. Import division DWCI. ingredients not listedpreservative not declaredno common nameinsanitary handling
- AEF-0039240-9 FILEFISHFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. listing refusal
- EPM-0196013-3 SQUID, OTHER AQUATIC SPECIESFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. Salmonella
- U47-2608728-9 PEPPER, HOT, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DWCI. refused establishment inspection
- AEK-0969505-6 GINSENG (HERBAL & BOTANICAL TEAS)Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DSEI. no contact information
- 9NX-0007847-0 ANCHOVYFishery/Seafood Products. Import division DWCI. filth
- ASW-0145164-9 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DSWI. poisonous or deleterious substance
- EJA-5232385-6 BARBECUE SAUCEMultiple Food Dinners, Gravies, Sauces, and Specialties (Total Diet). Import division DWCI. no process filing
- AEK-7956220-1 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DSEI. unapproved new drug
- DQ7-0304711-7 KONJAC, JUICE OR DRINK (ROOT & TUBER VEGETABLE)Vegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DWCI. no process filing
- AEK-9592311-4 VITAMIN, MINERAL, PROTEINS AND UNCONVENTIONAL DIETARY SPECIALITIES FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS, N.E.C.Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Unconventional Dietary Specialties for Humans. Import division DSEI. not in English
- 9WF-1052864-6 FOODS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS ADDED, WITH OR WITHOUT ARTIFICAL SWEETNERSDietary Conventional Foods and Meal Replacements. Import division DWCI. no process filing
- U47-2604929-7 OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS, N.E.C.Bakery Products, Doughs, Bakery Mixes, and Icings. Import division DWCI. unsafe color additivecolor not declared
- ASW-0145158-1 SEAWEED, DRIED OR PASTEVegetables and Vegetable Products. Import division DWCI. poisonous or deleterious substance
Recent weeks
| Week | Refusals |
|---|---|
| 2026-W44 | 0 |
| 2026-W43 | 0 |
| 2026-W42 | 0 |
| 2026-W41 | 0 |
| 2026-W40 | 2 |
| 2026-W39 | 3 |
| 2026-W38 | 2 |
| 2026-W37 | 1 |
→ See all FDA import refusals for 2026-W44
Data and downloads
Download all 569 entries (CSV) — every refusal behind this page, with its import division, FDA product code, charges and whether it was a hazard finding or paperwork. Every entry is also listed by year above.
The file holds entries up to 2026-10-04. To get new ones for South Korea by email, watch South Korea.
South Korea country report since 2020 — every refusal by year, charge and import division →