Korea Post Returned Your EMS Package? How to Recover and Reship It
Updated: 2 hours ago
A practical guide to finding a returned EMS package, collecting it and getting it moving again, even if you have already left Korea.
Sent a package from Korea, flew home, and then discovered that your belongings have been returned to a Korean post office?
Unfortunately, this is one of those problems that becomes considerably more complicated once you are several thousand kilometers away.
We have helped clients deal with returned packages both in Seoul and elsewhere in Korea. The exact process varies depending on why the parcel was returned and which post office is holding it, but there is a fairly consistent series of questions worth answering before anyone goes anywhere.
Your trip ended. Your parcel apparently had other plans.
Quick answer: What should you do if your EMS package is returned in Korea?Start by confirming four things:
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1. Find out where your returned package is
The first step is simply locating the parcel.
If Korea Post has contacted you directly, their email or notice may tell you where the package is being held and why it was returned. If you only noticed the problem through the EMS tracking history, you may need to contact Korea Post to establish what happened.
Before anyone embarks on a scenic tour of Korean post offices, confirm exactly where the parcel is being held.
For packages stopped during Korea Post's security screening before they are loaded onto an aircraft, Korea Post says the parcel is returned to the post office where it was accepted.
Other situations can be different, particularly if the parcel successfully left Korea and was later returned from the destination country.
When speaking with the post office, ask:
the exact location of the parcel
why it was returned
whether someone can act on your behalf
what documents that person needs
how long the parcel will be held
what fees, if any, need to be paid
whether the parcel can be corrected and resent
Wonderful Tip: Keep your original shipping receipt and a copy or photo of the shipping label. They can become very useful when someone needs to deal with the parcel on your behalf.
Not sure what happened to your EMS package?
Send us the tracking number and any email, text message or notice you received from Korea Post. Our bilingual assistants can help contact the relevant office and find out what happened and what they require next.
Sign Up To Get Help Checking Your Returned Package
Or reach out first here : Facebook, Kakao Talk, WhatsApp, Instagram, Email
GoWonderfully charges for the assistant time used on your request. Product, delivery, shipping, and other third-party costs are separate.
2. Find out why the package was returned
This is the most important part of the process because the reason for the return determines what you need to do next.
One common situation is a package being stopped during Korea Post's security screening before it leaves Korea.
Korea Post screens international mail before it is loaded onto an aircraft. Some commonly problematic items include rechargeable lithium batteries, devices containing certain rechargeable batteries, perfume, aerosol or pressurized products, and other items classified as dangerous goods.
Cosmetics are a little more complicated than simply being “allowed” or “not allowed.” Some can be shipped normally, while others may require additional checks or documentation depending on their ingredients and packaging.
Food can also create problems if the destination country restricts the particular food being sent.
Before shipping/reshipping a package, it is worth checking Korea Post's official EMS guidance on prohibited and restricted items:
The rules can also depend on the destination country, so if you are unsure about a particular item, confirm it with Korea Post before sending the parcel again.
One rechargeable battery can turn an otherwise respectable box of belongings into a surprisingly elaborate postal side quest.
Not every return is caused by a restricted item, however.
A package may also be returned because of an incomplete or incorrect address, a delivery problem at the destination, or a customs or import restriction in the receiving country.
This distinction matters because a parcel stopped before leaving Korea and a parcel returned to Korea from overseas can involve very different costs and procedures.
3. Can someone collect the package if you have already left Korea?
Often, yes but do not assume the requirements are the same at every post office.
In cases we have handled, Korea Post staff have sometimes required written confirmation from the sender and identification from the person acting on their behalf. Other offices have been able to resolve parts of the process without requiring someone to visit immediately.
The important thing is to ask the office holding your particular parcel what they require.
If you are still in contact with the Korea Post employee who notified you, ask specifically:
“Can another person handle this on my behalf, and exactly what should they bring?”
Get that answer before arranging transport or sending someone across town.
4. What needs to happen before the package can be resent?
If a restricted item caused the return, the usual next step is to establish whether that item can be removed and whether the remainder of the parcel can then be shipped again.
Do not assume that removing one item automatically solves everything. The post office still needs to confirm that the remaining contents can be accepted and a new shipment will normally require a new shipping label.
From our experience, the exact procedure varies.
In some cases, post office staff have been able to assist with part of the process. In others, someone has needed to visit the post office physically, collect or open the package, remove the problematic item and arrange a new shipment.
GoWonderfully can contact the office first to establish the requirements before arranging a visit.
Already left Korea?
If your package is sitting at a Korean post office while you are overseas, send us the tracking information and the notice you received. We can help contact the office, confirm what they require from a representative, and coordinate the collection and reshipping process where possible.
Get Help Recovering Your Package : Facebook, Kakao Talk, WhatsApp, Instagram, Email
GoWonderfully charges for the assistant time used on your request. Product, delivery, shipping, and other third-party costs are separate.
5. What will it cost?
There is no single answer because the cost depends heavily on where the package was returned from.
If the package was stopped before leaving Korea
Korea Post's current guidance says that packages caught during pre-flight security screening are returned to the accepting post office. A separate charge may apply, after which the original acceptance postage can be refunded.
Keep the original receipt, as the post office may need it when handling the refund.
If the package left Korea and was returned from overseas
The situation can be more expensive.
The original international postage may not be refundable, and return charges can also apply depending on the destination country and what happened to the shipment.
Ask the post office for the exact amount rather than assuming that the same rules apply to every return.
Sending it again
Reshipping is a new shipment with a new shipping fee.
That fee depends on the destination, weight, dimensions and shipping method, so it is not necessarily the same as what you paid the first time.
6. What happens to the item that caused the return?
Once the problematic item has been identified, you need to decide what should happen to it.
Depending on the item and your circumstances, the options may include:
disposing of it
sending it to a friend or another address within Korea
keeping it in Korea
checking whether a specialist international shipping service can transport it
For items that cannot be sent through Korea Post EMS, GoWonderfully works with Nalala, an international shipping service we have used in situations involving items that require specialist handling.
For example, we have successfully coordinated shipments through Nalala for items such as batteries, alcohol-based products and chilled goods that could not be handled through the normal Korea Post EMS route.
Whether Nalala can ship a particular item still depends on the exact contents, destination and current carrier requirements, so we confirm this before arranging the shipment.
This can be particularly useful when the item that caused the EMS return is valuable or difficult to replace.
If it is a small or inexpensive item, many clients simply choose to dispose of it rather than pay for a separate specialist shipment. Another option is to send it to a friend or another address within Korea.
It is worth deciding what you want done with the item before someone goes to the post office.
There is little joy in successfully rescuing a package only to discover that nobody has decided what to do with the one bottle of perfume responsible for the entire adventure.
7. Reshipping the rest of the box
When arranging a new shipment, keep the original shipping label available.
It provides the sender and recipient information from the first shipment and makes it easier to check whether any address or contact information also needs correcting.
Before creating the new shipment, check the remaining contents against the Korea Post EMS prohibited and restricted items guidance.
This is worth doing even when the post office has already identified one problematic item. Finding out that there were actually two prohibited items after paying for another shipping label is a sequel nobody needs.
GoWonderfully can help prepare the new shipping details, coordinate payment where required and keep you updated while the request is being handled.
Many returned-package requests we handle take around 1–2 hours of assistant time, although the actual time can vary considerably depending on the location of the post office, the reason for the return, whether an in-person visit is required and what needs to happen before the parcel can be shipped again.
You can follow the assistant time used through the report link provided with your request.
Need help recovering a returned EMS package in Korea?
Send us:
your EMS tracking number
the Korea Post email, message or return notice
a copy of the original shipping label
your original receipt if you still have it
a brief description of what is inside
your current destination address
Our bilingual assistants can contact the relevant post office, confirm the requirements, coordinate collection where possible and help arrange the next steps for reshipping.
If a removed item cannot travel through Korea Post EMS, we can also check whether an alternative shipping option such as Nalala may be suitable.
Get Help With a Returned EMS Package : Facebook, Kakao Talk, WhatsApp, Instagram, Email
GoWonderfully charges for the assistant time used. Travel, packing, international postage, specialist shipping, courier charges and other third-party costs are separate. Collection and reshipping options depend on the requirements of the post office, carrier, contents and destination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone collect my returned EMS package for me after I leave Korea?
Potentially. The holding post office decides what documentation is required for another person to act on your behalf. Contact the office first and ask exactly what your representative needs to bring.
Can I remove the prohibited item and resend everything else?
Often this may be possible, but the remaining contents still need to meet Korea Post and destination-country requirements. Confirm the process with the post office before arranging collection.
You should also check the remaining contents against Korea Post's official EMS prohibited-items guidance before creating the replacement shipment.
What if the item Korea Post rejected is important?
You do not necessarily have to dispose of it.
GoWonderfully works with Nalala, a specialist international shipping service that we have used to arrange shipments of items including batteries, alcohol-based products and chilled goods.
Whether a specific item can be accepted depends on the product, destination and current shipping requirements, so we confirm this before arranging the shipment.
Will Korea Post refund my original shipping fee?
It depends on what happened. Korea Post states that packages stopped during its pre-flight security screening are returned to the accepting post office and the acceptance postage can be refunded after a separate charge.
A package that actually travelled overseas and was subsequently returned is a different situation, so confirm the applicable charges with Korea Post.
What if I don't know why my package was returned?
Start with the tracking number and any message from Korea Post. Contact the holding office and ask where the package is, why it was returned and what options are available.
What information should I send GoWonderfully?
The most useful information is the tracking number, return notice, original shipping label, receipt if available, a description of the contents and the address where you eventually want the package delivered.
