The Korea Customs Service will roll out a package of special measures ahead of Chuseok, Korea's autumn holiday, to speed the supply of seasonal food items, ease import clearance and reduce the financial burden on exporters, the agency said. From Sept. 7-27, 34 customs offices nationwide will operate 24-hour special clearance teams, including nights and holidays, to fast-track imports of holiday food staples and urgently needed raw materials, while stepping up inspections of imported food to block unsafe or illegal products. Separate teams will handle the surge in direct overseas purchases — personal imports bought straight from foreign online retailers — at customs offices in Incheon, Pyeongtaek, Gunsan, Yongdang and Gimpo Airport. To curb the stockpiling of items covered by tariff-rate quotas, such as frozen pork and fruit, the agency will impose penalty surcharges on delayed import declarations and step up inspections of bonded warehouses to ensure timely release of goods. A "special customs refund support" period will run Sept. 10-23 to ease exporters' cash flow, with refunds gene