🍾 Can you bring Alcohol (wine, whisky, spirits) on a plane?
Checked only (5L limit for 24–70% ABV)
As of 2026-08-21
The rule in detail
Drinks at 24% ABV or below (beer, wine, makgeolli) have no volume limit in checked baggage. Above 24% and up to 70% ABV (whisky, soju, vodka) is capped at 5L per person, in unopened retail packaging. Anything over 70% ABV is banned from both the cabin and checked baggage. The liquids rule still applies in the cabin, so only containers of 100ml or less get through — duty-free bottles may be carried on only while the security-sealed (STEB) bag is intact.
Why the rule is written this way
It is classified as Allowed with conditions — check the rules because capacity, shape and quantity decide whether it passes, so the same object can be confiscated on one trip and not the next.
Measure it yourself before you leave, and if it is borderline ask the airline and keep the answer in writing. At the checkpoint the final call is the security officer’s.
What actually happens at the airport
- Check-in desk — this is the point of no return for your suitcase. Anything that may only travel in the cabin cannot be retrieved after this step.
- Security screening — if the X-ray flags a shape, the bag is opened. Most problem items are caught here.
- Extra check at the gate — on some routes there is one more inspection.
Confiscated items are rarely returned. If you are unsure, confirm the specification before you leave home.
What you may carry and what you may bring in duty-free are two different limits — Korean customs allows 2 bottles, 2L, and US$400 on arrival
Other items in the same class
The items below are also classified as Allowed with conditions — check the rules. Quantity and volume limits differ per item, so check each rule separately.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| 🧴 Liquids / gels / cosmetics | Cabin: 100ml or less / checked: no limit |
| ⚠️ Cordless hair straightener (built-in battery) | Not permitted — confiscated in Japan |
| 🪒 Razors / razor blades | Razor: cabin OK / loose blades: checked only |
| ⛽ Butane canisters / camping fuel | Banned in cabin and checked (flammable gas) |
| 🔪 Scissors / utility knives | Blades under 6cm only (no utility knives) |
| 🪫 Dry-cell / spare lithium batteries | Alkaline: either / lithium: cabin only |
| 👁️ Contact lenses / lens solution | Lenses: no limit / solution: 100ml max |
Frequently asked questions
- Alcohol (wine, whisky, spirits) — can I take it in the cabin?
- Checked only (5L limit for 24–70% ABV). Drinks at 24% ABV or below (beer, wine, makgeolli) have no volume limit in checked baggage. Above 24% and up to 70% ABV (whisky, soju, vodka) is capped at 5L per person, in unopened retail packaging. Anything over 70% ABV is banned from both the cabin and checked baggage. The liquids rule still applies in the cabin, so only containers of 100ml or less get through — duty-free bottles may be carried on only while the security-sealed (STEB) bag is intact.
- Is there anything else to watch out for with Alcohol (wine, whisky, spirits)?
- What you may carry and what you may bring in duty-free are two different limits — Korean customs allows 2 bottles, 2L, and US$400 on arrival