Seoul, South Korea
Sea freight in Seoul
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Seoul, via Incheon and Busan. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Seoul
- AirportIncheon International
ICN - AirportGimpo
GMP - SeaportIncheon and Busan
Seoul is served by two airports. Incheon International Airport (ICN), on Yeongjong Island west of the capital, is South Korea's main international cargo gateway, with freighter and belly connections to Asia, Europe and North America and dedicated cargo terminals beside the runways. Gimpo International Airport (GMP), inside the Seoul city limits, mainly serves domestic flights and a small number of short-haul international routes, for example to Tokyo Haneda and Shanghai Hongqiao. For sea freight, the Port of Incheon is the closest seaport to Seoul, Pyeongtaek-Dangjin Port lies to the south-west, and deep-sea container services mostly call at Busan. We route Seoul air freight via ICN in almost every case.
The Incheon International Airport Expressway and the Yeongjong Bridge link the airport island with western Seoul. The Seoul Ring Expressway circles the capital and connects the Gyeongbu Expressway towards Daejeon and Busan, the Gyeongin Expressways towards Incheon and the Yeongdong Expressway towards Icheon and Gangwon. The Uiwang Inland Container Depot south of Seoul links the capital region with Busan by container rail, alongside Korail freight services.
Operational logistics facts for Seoul
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Incheon International Airport (ICN) cargo terminals | Semiconductor equipment and parts, electronics, cosmetics, general cargo | Direct freighter and belly capacity to Europe, North America and Asia for the capital region |
| Gyeonggi semiconductor belt (Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Giheung, Icheon) | Memory fabs, equipment suppliers, process materials | Pick-up and delivery arranged directly at fab and supplier sites |
| Uiwang Inland Container Depot | Container rail link between the capital area and Busan | Inland access to deep-sea container services for Seoul shippers |
| Gimpo International Airport (GMP) | Domestic and short-haul flights within North-East Asia | Option for hand-carried On-Board Courier shipments to Japan and China |
Industries in Seoul and how we support them
The Seoul capital area is the centre of South Korea's semiconductor and electronics industry: major memory fabs are located in Gyeonggi Province, for example in Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Giheung and Icheon, surrounded by equipment and materials suppliers. Seoul hosts the headquarters of battery makers, display and electronics groups, and many cosmetics brands, while Pangyo Techno Valley in Seongnam is a base for IT and software firms. Imports include fab equipment, process chemicals and spare parts. Ziem Logistics supports these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via ICN, Next Flight Out and On-Board Courier for fab-critical spare parts, sea freight FCL/LCL via Incheon and Busan, and customs clearance through our Korean network partner team.
From the port to your door in Seoul
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Incheon and Busan, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the Seoul area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
Customs clearance in South Korea
Ziem network
Customs clearance in South Korea is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from South Korea we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in South Korea need a business registration number and a customs registration (personal customs code for individuals).
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Seoul?
Usually Incheon and Busan. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.