The customs services of South Korea express serious concern over the sharp increase in the number of cars that bypass official channels and enter the Russian market through intermediaries. According to information from Reuters, Seoul plans to intensify measures against this illegal export, which has apparently become a workaround for sanctions.
Statistical data confirms this: in 2025, the volume of illegal car supplies from South Korea to Russia increased more than fivefold, amounting to 149.2 billion won (approximately 100 million dollars).
Customs officials have identified several complex schemes used by unscrupulous car dealers. For example, some of them attempt to deceive customs by claiming that cars are being sent to neighboring countries such as China, Kazakhstan, or Kyrgyzstan, while the actual destination is Russia. Others go even further: they purchase new cars, disguise them as used ones, and transport them to Russia through third countries.
Premium-class cars of German brands, which are initially imported into South Korea, are of particular interest to customs officials, as they often become the target of "gray" schemes for transportation to Russia.
It should be noted that since the beginning of 2024, the South Korean authorities have tightened the rules for exporting cars to Russia, banning the supply of vehicles with engine capacities over 2 liters. Previously, the restrictions only applied to cars worth over 50,000 dollars. However, recent data shows that these measures have not completely stopped the flow of "gray" cars and have only pushed dealers to seek new methods of circumvention.
In this regard, South Korea intends to take additional steps to combat illegal exports, which may lead to stricter border controls and harsher penalties for violators.
The record South Korea plans to restrict car exports to Russia through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China was first published by K-News.
