$400 limit on duty-free items will finally be raised to $600

The government’s cap on purchases of duty-free items for Koreans who travel abroad will be raised from $400 to $600 from Sept. 5. Travelers who voluntarily report items over the $600 cap to the authorities will get a 30 percent reduction in the duty applied.

There have been complaints that the low limit, which was set in 1996, is out of sync with the current levels of wealth.