Only 39.8% of passports lost at Korean airports went straight back to their owners: five years of lost-item data from 13 airports
TripX Verified · 4 sources · checked 2026-10-29Key points
- Lost items at 13 airports rose 48.7% from 41,945 in 2021 to 62,376 last year, about 171 a day on average last year.
- Passports and IDs were the most commonly lost items (39,268), but airports returned only 39.8% of them directly to owners.
- If you lose something, tell the airport information desk right away and check LOST112. Ask your card company to suspend cards immediately.
In this guide
Lost items handed in at the 13 airports run by Korea Airports Corporation keep rising. They grew 48.7% from 41,945 in 2021 to 62,376 last year, or about 171 a day on average last year. Over five years the most commonly lost items were passports and IDs, at 39,268, yet the airports returned only 39.8% of them directly to their owners.
This article is based on October 28 reports (Seoul Economic Daily, Edaily, Hankook Ilbo and Kookje Shinmun) on data Korea Airports Corporation submitted to the office of lawmaker Hwang Hee on the National Assembly's land and transport committee. Incheon International Airport is not included in these figures.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Scope | 13 airports run by Korea Airports Corporation (Incheon International Airport excluded) |
| Lost items handed in | 41,945 in 2021 → 62,376 in 2025 (up 48.7%) |
| Most common item | Passports and IDs, 39,268 |
| Direct return rate | Phones 83.5% · wallets and bags 62.9% · passports and IDs 39.8% · electronics 31.1% |
| If you lose something | Airport information desk → search LOST112 · suspend cards immediately |
What the data shows: lost items up 48.7% in five years
From 2021 to 2025 the 13 airports received 270,797 lost items in total. By year: 41,945 in 2021, 53,147 in 2022, 56,064 in 2023, 57,265 in 2024 and 62,376 in 2025, rising every year. This year 46,414 items were handed in from January to September alone.
By airport, Jeju had 91,637, Gimpo 87,412, Gimhae 53,254, Cheongju 18,713 and Daegu 10,018. Jeju, Gimpo and Gimhae together made up 85.8% of the total. Muan International Airport, where flights are suspended, is not among the 13.
Passports and IDs top the list, fewer than 4 in 10 returned
Excluding miscellaneous items, passports and IDs were the most common at 39,268, followed by wallets and bags at 36,050, electronics at 16,218 and mobile phones at 7,520.
The share the airports returned directly to owners, without going through the police or other agencies, averaged 36.9% over five years. By item, 83.5% of phones and 62.9% of wallets and bags went back, but only 39.8% of passports and IDs and 31.1% of electronics. The direct return rate for January to September this year was lower still at 32.7%.
Airports varied widely: Gimhae 40.2%, Gimpo 39.3%, Jeju 32.0% and Cheongju 31.2%. The data also showed employees of the subsidiary that handles lost items being disciplined, one for keeping a found handbag instead of passing it to the lost-and-found center and another for taking a scarf.
Who this applies to
Anyone flying domestic or international from Korea Airports Corporation airports such as Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju and Daegu. A passport is easy to leave behind because you take it out and put it away many times: at check-in, at security and on the seats by the gate. Even on a domestic flight, losing your ID can make boarding more complicated.
If you lose something
Ask the airport information desk for help as soon as you notice. When an item is handed in, the airport photographs it right away and posts it on the airport website and on LOST112, the National Police Agency's lost-and-found portal. Once the owner is confirmed, people who live far away can have it sent by cash-on-delivery courier.
Call your card company immediately to suspend and reissue any credit or debit card. A resident registration card or driver's license can be reported lost and reissued through Government24 or your local community service center. If your passport cannot be found, check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs passport guidance for how to report it lost and get a new one.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I get my passport back if I lose it at the airport?
Possibly, but there is no guarantee. Of the passports and IDs handed in over five years, airports returned 39.8% directly to their owners. Tell the airport information desk as soon as you notice.
Where can I search for items lost at an airport?
On the airport website and on LOST112, the National Police Agency's lost-and-found portal. Airports photograph found items as soon as they are handed in and post them on both.
Which airport has the most lost items?
Jeju had the most over five years at 91,637, followed by Gimpo at 87,412 and Gimhae at 53,254. The three made up 85.8% of the total.
Sources
- Hankook Ilbo (Oct 28, 2026; on Korea Airports Corporation lost-item data submitted to lawmaker Hwang Hee, in Korean)
- Edaily (Oct 28, 2026; on lost-item returns at 13 airports, in Korean)
- Seoul Economic Daily (Oct 28, 2026; on airport lost-item return rates and what to do, in Korean)
- Kookje Shinmun (Oct 28, 2026; on direct returns of lost items at Gimhae and other airports, in Korean)
Checked on
This guide is Global TripX’s summary of the information published in the sources above. It is not a first-hand review, and rules and schedules can change, so check official guidance again before you travel.
TripX Verified: the date we matched the facts in this guide against the original sources below. Rules can change.
