South Korea is expanding a remote baggage-screening program for travelers bound for the United States, allowing more passengers transiting through major U.S. airports to avoid reclaiming and rechecking luggage before connecting flights.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on June 22 that the service will be extended to Los Angeles International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, broadening a program already in place for passengers arriving at Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis.
Under the system, X-ray images of checked baggage are transmitted from Incheon International Airport to U.S. authorities for remote inspection. Luggage that clears screening is transferred directly to connecting flights, eliminating the need for passengers to collect bags, pass customs inspections and recheck them with onward carriers.
The expansion is expected to reduce transfer times by at least 20 minutes and enable what officials describe as a seamless baggage-free connection process.
The initiative was developed through cooperation between South Korea’s transport ministry and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The service applies to eligible passengers flying with Korean Air and Delta Air Lines, both of which satisfy screening standards established by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It also covers travelers originating in third countries who transit through Incheon on their way to the United States.
Korean Air currently operates three daily flights between Incheon and Los Angeles, except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when it operates two. On the Seattle route, Korean Air and Delta each operate one daily flight.
Government data show that approximately 421,000 passengers traveled on the Los Angeles and Seattle routes last year. Of those, about 127,000 travelers, or 30.1%, transferred to onward flights at the two U.S. gateways.
Officials said the expansion is expected to improve convenience for a substantial number of trans-Pacific travelers while further strengthening aviation-security cooperation between South Korea and the United States.
