Center notices

On 8 June the Ministry of Unification said that it had approved a Report of Contact with North Korean Residents and an application to carry goods out, both submitted by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, in line with the requirements of the relevant legislation. It is an example of a local government’s inter-Korean cooperation project going through the reporting and approval procedures, and it may be worth studying for institutions and organizations preparing the same steps.

Outline of the case

• Applicant: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
• Procedure: Report of Contact with North Korean Residents → application for Approval for Carrying Goods Out → approval by the Ministry of Unification
• Goods: medical equipment, chemicals for forest disaster prevention, hallabong saplings and similar items. They were reported to have been shipped through a third country, the port of Dalian in China, to the port of Nampo in North Korea.

Points worth noting

• Reporting contact and obtaining approval to carry goods out are separate procedures: the contact report is completed first, and the application for approval to carry goods out follows.
• Where goods pass through a third country, the shipping route and the customs documents become the central material in the review.
• For items of a clearly humanitarian character, such as medical or disaster-prevention supplies, whether an exemption from sanctions on North Korea is needed should be examined while the project is still being designed.

Consultation

If you are preparing a similar project at a local government or an organization, you are welcome to request a consultation. We will go through the order of the procedures and the documents required with you.

Source: Asia Today, "Ministry of Unification approves Jeju’s applications for contact with North Korea and for carrying goods out" (8 June 2026) https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260608010002440