Incheon Airport foreigner entry procedure, still centered on paper documents after 25 years

Although Incheon International Airport is ranked as the world's fifthbest airport for international passengers, it has been found that foreign entry procedures still rely on paper documents and duplicate data entry across agencies. Depending on the situation, foreign entrants must separately complete the Ministry of Justice's entry form, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's health declaration form, and Customs' traveler baggage declaration form. It has been pointed out that having to enter the same information, such as passport details, flight information, and address, multiple times is highly inconvenient. By contrast, major airports such as Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia have simplified the entry process by introducing online preregistration or QR codebased procedures. However, Incheon Airport still has no integrated platform, as each agency operates its own separate system. As the entry procedure is complicated, the burden on onsite airport staff is also increasing. The Incheon Airport Immigration Office conducts special duty shifts whenever foreign entrants are concentrated, and the shortage of inspection personnel remains an issue. Government and airport officials believe that a unified integrated system is needed to match the growing number of foreign tourists.