Lost and found at Korean airports: how to get your item back

Airports are big, but lost & found in Korea is well organized. The key is knowing who holds your item — the airline, the airport, or the police — because that decides who you call.

First, figure out where you lost it

• On the plane (seat pocket, overhead bin) → it's with the airline, not the airport. Contact the carrier's lost-item service.
• In the terminal (gate, restroom, check-in, food court) → it's with the airport Lost & Found office.
• Turned in and unclaimed → it ends up with the police and appears on Lost112 (lost112.go.kr).

Contact the right airport's Lost & Found

Each airport runs its own desk. Guides with exact numbers, locations, and hours:

• Incheon Airport lost and found
• Gimpo Airport lost and found
• Jeju Airport lost and found

Contacts for every Korean airport are in the airports directory.

How long airports keep items

Under Korea's Lost Property Act, found items are generally held through a statutory period plus a finder's-acquisition period; if still unclaimed, they transfer to the national treasury and are disposed of. Perishable or low-value items may be handled sooner. Move quickly, and if the airport no longer has it, check Lost112.

If you've already left Korea

You can still recover it: contact the airport Lost & Found by email or phone to confirm they hold the item, then arrange shipping. Some airports offer a lost-item overseas-shipping service (you pay the courier). If coordinating from abroad in Korean is a hurdle, we can handle the recovery and shipping for you.