{"id":774,"date":"2026-04-16T07:06:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T07:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/?p=774"},"modified":"2026-04-16T07:06:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T07:06:11","slug":"freight-forwarder-dual-status-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/freight-forwarder-dual-status-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"Does a Freight Forwarder Become a Carrier Under Korean Law When It Issues a House Bill of Lading?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Article Schema --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Article\",\n    \"headline\": \"Does a Freight Forwarder Become a Carrier When It Issues a House Bill of Lading in South Korea? Dual Status Doctrine Explained\",\n    \"description\": \"When a freight forwarder issues a house bill of lading in South Korea, it acquires carrier status without losing its forwarder status. This post explains the dual status doctrine, the critical differences in limitation periods, and how to structure cargo claims under Korean law.\",\n    \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\n        \"name\": \"Taejin Kim\",\n        \"jobTitle\": \"Attorney-at-Law\",\n        \"worksFor\": {\n            \"@type\": \"LegalService\",\n            \"name\": \"Atlas Legal\",\n            \"url\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\",\n            \"address\": {\n                \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\",\n                \"addressLocality\": \"Incheon\",\n                \"addressRegion\": \"Songdo\"\n            }\n        }\n    },\n    \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Atlas Legal\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\"\n    },\n    \"datePublished\": \"2026-04-16\",\n    \"dateModified\": \"2026-04-16\",\n    \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n        \"@type\": \"WebPage\"\n    }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><!-- FAQ Schema --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n    \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Does a freight forwarder become a carrier in South Korea when it issues a house bill of lading?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes, but it does not cease to be a forwarder. Under Article 116(2) of the Korean Commercial Act, a freight forwarder that issues a house bill of lading acquires carrier status in addition to its existing forwarder status. The two roles coexist independently \u2014 this is the dual status doctrine confirmed by the Seoul Central District Court in 2022Gahap555517 (2023).\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Does the one-year limitation period for carriers under Korean law apply to tort claims as well?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes. Article 814(1) of the Korean Commercial Act extinguishes all claims against a maritime carrier \u2014 'regardless of the cause of action' \u2014 within one year from delivery. This covers both contractual and tortious claims. By contrast, the one-year short prescription under Article 121 for freight forwarders applies only to breach of contract, not to tort.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"What is the limitation period for a tort claim against a freight forwarder in South Korea?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Three years from the date the claimant became aware of the damage and the identity of the wrongdoer, subject to an absolute limit of ten years from the date of the tort, pursuant to Article 766 of the Korean Civil Act. This means that even after the carrier's one-year cut-off has expired, a tort claim against the same party in its forwarder capacity may still be alive.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Does the package limitation under Article 797 of the Korean Commercial Act apply to freight forwarder liability?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"No. Article 797 is a carrier-specific provision. There is no equivalent statutory liability cap for freight forwarders under Korean law. Accordingly, structuring the primary cause of action in forwarder capacity allows a claimant to seek full cargo value without being subject to the package limitation.\"\n            }\n        },\n        {\n            \"@type\": \"Question\",\n            \"name\": \"Can a freight forwarder acquire carrier status in South Korea without issuing a bill of lading?\",\n            \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n                \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n                \"text\": \"Yes. Under Article 119(2) of the Korean Commercial Act, a freight forwarder also acquires carrier status when it fixes the freight rate in the forwarding contract. The Supreme Court confirmed this in 2007Da4943 (2007). Both issuance of a house bill of lading (Article 116(2)) and freight rate fixing (Article 119(2)) trigger dual status.\"\n            }\n        }\n    ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><!-- LocalBusiness Schema --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"LocalBusiness\",\n    \"name\": \"Atlas Legal\",\n    \"image\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/logo.png\",\n    \"url\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\",\n    \"telephone\": \"+82-32-864-8300\",\n    \"address\": {\n        \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\",\n        \"streetAddress\": \"323 Incheon Tower-daero, Tower B, Suite 2901 (Songdo-dong, Centroad)\",\n        \"addressLocality\": \"Incheon\",\n        \"addressRegion\": \"Yeonsu-gu, Incheon\",\n        \"addressCountry\": \"KR\"\n    },\n    \"priceRange\": \"$$\",\n    \"openingHoursSpecification\": {\n        \"@type\": \"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\n        \"dayOfWeek\": 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}\n        p, li { font-size: 16px; }\n        th, td { font-size: 14px; padding: 8px; }\n        .statute-box { font-size: 14px; }\n    }\n    .site-container, .content-area, .entry-content {\n        padding: 0;\n        margin: 0;\n    }\n    .entry-content > *:first-child {\n        margin-top: 0 !important;\n    }\n    .entry-content {\n        margin-top: 0 !important;\n    }\n    .kb-row-container, .kb-column-container {\n        margin: 0;\n        padding: 0;\n    }\n<\/style>\n<p><!-- Content --><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-container\">\n<p>    <!-- Table of Contents --><\/p>\n<div class=\"toc\">\n<h2>Contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#section1\">1. What is a freight forwarder, and what happens when it issues a house bill of lading in South Korea?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section2\">2. Is the dual status an either\/or choice under Korean law?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section3\">3. How do limitation periods differ between the two capacities?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section4\">4. Does the statutory package limitation apply to freight forwarder liability?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section5\">5. What are the practical implications for cargo claim strategy?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section6\">6. FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Story Hook --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-hook\">\n<p>A Korean exporter entrusted a cargo to a freight forwarder, which issued a house bill of lading and assumed multimodal carriage. When the shipment arrived in Poland with extensive water damage, the cargo insurer \u2014 having paid the loss \u2014 sued the forwarder for recovery. The forwarder argued: &#8220;We issued a bill of lading, so we are now a carrier \u2014 and the time bar has expired.&#8221; Was that argument correct?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Direct Answer --><\/p>\n<div class=\"direct-answer\">\n        <strong>Short Answer:<\/strong> No. Under South Korean law, issuing a house bill of lading adds carrier status on top of the existing forwarder status \u2014 it does not replace it. Both capacities coexist, each with its own limitation period and liability exposure. Understanding that distinction is the key to structuring \u2014 or defending \u2014 a cargo damage claim in South Korea.\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Story Detail --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-detail\">\n<h3>Why one incident can produce two separate limitation periods<\/h3>\n<p>In December 2023, the Seoul Central District Court decided a subrogation action against a multimodal freight forwarder that had issued a house bill of lading (Case No. 2022Gahap555517). The claimant pleaded both carrier liability and forwarder liability in the alternative. The court dismissed the carrier claim \u2014 the nine-month contractual time bar in the reverse side conditions had expired \u2014 but proceeded to the merits on the forwarder claim and found the defendant 60% at fault. The outcome flowed directly from the principle that the two capacities exist independently. That decision is the most important recent authority on the dual status doctrine in South Korea.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Section 1 --><br \/>\n    <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section1\">1. What is a freight forwarder, and what happens when it issues a house bill of lading in South Korea?<\/h2>\n<p>A freight forwarder (\uc6b4\uc1a1\uc8fc\uc120\uc778) under Korean law is a person who arranges the carriage of goods in its own name as a commercial activity, without itself performing the physical carriage. Its statutory basis is Article 114 of the Korean Commercial Act.<\/p>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 114 of the Korean Commercial Act (Definition)<\/strong><br \/>\nA person who arranges the carriage of goods in his own name as a business is a freight forwarder.<\/div>\n<h3>How carrier status is acquired<\/h3>\n<p>A freight forwarder acquires carrier status in one of two ways under the Korean Commercial Act:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First<\/strong>, by issuing a bill of lading at the consignor&#8217;s request (Article 116(2)); or<\/li>\n<li><strong>Second<\/strong>, by fixing the freight rate in the forwarding contract (Article 119(2)).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In practice, a bill of lading issued by a freight forwarder under its own name to the shipper is called a house bill of lading (HBL). Once an HBL is issued, Article 116(2) treats the forwarder as having carried the goods directly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 116 of the Korean Commercial Act (Right of Intervention)<\/strong><br \/>\u2460 A freight forwarder may, in the absence of a contrary agreement, carry the goods directly. In such case, the freight forwarder has the same rights and obligations as a carrier.<br \/>\u2461 Where a freight forwarder has issued a bill of lading at the request of the consignor, it is deemed to have carried the goods directly.<\/div>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 119(2) of the Korean Commercial Act (Remuneration)<\/strong><br \/>Where the amount of freight is fixed in a forwarding contract, the freight forwarder may not separately claim remuneration in the absence of a contrary agreement.<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section2\">2. Is the dual status an either\/or choice under Korean law?<\/h2>\n<p>No. The forwarder and carrier capacities are not mutually exclusive. Acquiring carrier status does not extinguish forwarder status. The two roles coexist.<\/p>\n<h3>The Supreme Court&#8217;s position<\/h3>\n<p>The Supreme Court of Korea addressed the point in 2007Da4943 (decided 27 April 2007):<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where a freight forwarder acquires carrier status under Article 116 or Article 119(2) of the Commercial Act, it holds that status in addition to its forwarder status. Until it does so, a forwarder that concluded a contract of carriage as an agent of the carrier remains in the position of a freight forwarder vis-\u00e0-vis the consignor.&#8221; (Supreme Court of Korea, 27 April 2007, 2007Da4943)<\/p>\n<h3>The Seoul Central District Court&#8217;s elaboration<\/h3>\n<p>The Seoul Central District Court applied this principle squarely in 2022Gahap555517 (14 December 2023):<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The carrier and forwarder capacities are not, as the defendant argues, in an either\/or relationship. Where a freight forwarder issues a bill of lading under Article 116(2) or fixes freight under Article 119(2), it acquires carrier status in addition to its forwarder status, holding both capacities concurrently.&#8221; (Seoul Central District Court, 14 December 2023, 2022Gahap555517)<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section3\">3. How do limitation periods differ between the two capacities?<\/h2>\n<p>This is the most consequential practical difference. The applicable limitation period \u2014 and its scope \u2014 varies significantly depending on which capacity is invoked.<\/p>\n<h3>Maritime carrier: one-year extinctive period (Article 814(1))<\/h3>\n<p>All claims against a maritime carrier \u2014 contractual or tortious \u2014 are extinguished if no court action is brought within one year of delivery (or the scheduled delivery date for total loss). The statutory language is explicit: the period applies &#8220;regardless of the cause of action.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 814(1) of the Korean Commercial Act (Extinction of Carrier&#8217;s Claims and Obligations)<\/strong><br \/>The claims and obligations of a carrier against the shipper or consignee are extinguished unless judicial action is brought within one year from the date on which the carrier delivered \u2014 or was to deliver \u2014 the goods to the consignee, regardless of the cause of action. However, this period may be extended by agreement of the parties.<\/div>\n<h3>Freight forwarder: different rules for contract and tort<\/h3>\n<p>The one-year short prescription in Article 121 applies only to claims based on breach of the forwarding contract. It does not apply to tortious claims against the forwarder. Tort claims are governed by Article 766 of the Korean Civil Act: three years from the date the claimant became aware of the loss and the tortfeasor, subject to a ten-year long-stop.<\/p>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 121 of the Korean Commercial Act (Prescription of Freight Forwarder Liability)<\/strong><br \/>\u2460 The liability of a freight forwarder is extinguished by prescription upon the lapse of one year from the date on which the consignee received the goods.<br \/>\u2461 The period in the preceding paragraph runs from the date on which the goods were to be delivered in the case of total loss.<br \/>\u2462 The preceding two paragraphs do not apply where the freight forwarder or its employee acted in bad faith.<\/div>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 766 of the Korean Civil Act (Prescription of Claims for Damages from Tort)<\/strong><br \/>\u2460 A claim for damages arising from a tort is extinguished by prescription upon the lapse of three years from the date on which the victim or his legal representative became aware of the damage and the identity of the tortfeasor.<br \/>\u2461 The same applies upon the lapse of ten years from the date of the tortious act.<\/div>\n<h3>Comparative table: limitation periods by capacity<\/h3>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Capacity<\/th>\n<th>Cause of Action<\/th>\n<th>Applicable Provision<\/th>\n<th>Period<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Maritime Carrier<\/td>\n<td>Contract or Tort (either)<\/td>\n<td>Commercial Act Art. 814(1)<\/td>\n<td>1 year (extinctive period)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Freight Forwarder<\/td>\n<td>Breach of Contract<\/td>\n<td>Commercial Act Art. 121<\/td>\n<td>1 year (prescription)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Freight Forwarder<\/td>\n<td>Tort<\/td>\n<td>Civil Act Art. 766<\/td>\n<td>3 years \/ 10 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section4\">4. Does the statutory package limitation apply to freight forwarder liability?<\/h2>\n<p>No. Article 797 of the Korean Commercial Act \u2014 which caps a carrier&#8217;s liability per package or per kilogram of gross weight \u2014 is a carrier-specific provision. There is no equivalent cap for freight forwarders.<\/p>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 115 of the Korean Commercial Act (Freight Forwarder&#8217;s Liability)<\/strong><br \/>A freight forwarder is liable for loss, damage, or delay of goods caused by failure to exercise due care in the receipt, delivery, storage, or carriage of goods, or in the selection of a carrier or another freight forwarder, unless it proves that it and its employees exercised due care.<\/div>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 797(1) of the Korean Commercial Act (Limitation of Liability)<\/strong><br \/>The carrier&#8217;s liability under Articles 794 through 796 of this Act may be limited to the greater of 666.67 units of account per package or shipping unit, or 2 units of account per kilogram of gross weight of the goods lost or damaged, provided that this limitation does not apply where the damage resulted from the carrier&#8217;s own act or omission done with intent to cause damage or recklessly and with knowledge that damage would probably result.<\/div>\n<div class=\"statute-box\"><strong>Article 798(1) of the Korean Commercial Act (Application to Non-Contractual Claims)<\/strong><br \/>The provisions of this section regarding carrier liability apply also to the carrier&#8217;s liability in tort.<\/div>\n<h3>Practical consequence<\/h3>\n<p>Because Article 797 does not apply to forwarder liability, and because Article 798 \u2014 which extends the package limitation to tort claims \u2014 is equally limited to carriers, a claimant who structures its primary cause of action in forwarder capacity can seek the full cargo value without being subject to either cap. This is frequently the decisive strategic consideration in cargo claims handled at Atlas Legal.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section5\">5. What are the practical implications for cargo claim strategy?<\/h2>\n<p>The dual status doctrine has direct consequences for both claimants and defendants in South Korean cargo litigation.<\/p>\n<h3>For claimants (cargo owners and subrogated insurers)<\/h3>\n<p>Where the carrier time bar has expired or is about to expire, pleading forwarder liability as the primary cause of action offers two advantages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Extended limitation period:<\/strong> The three-year tort prescription under Civil Act Article 766 may still be running even after the one-year carrier cut-off. The Seoul Central District Court&#8217;s 2022Gahap555517 decision is the leading example: the carrier claim was time-barred, but the forwarder tort claim survived and succeeded on the merits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No package limitation:<\/strong> Forwarder liability is not capped by Article 797. Full cargo value is recoverable if liability is established.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When both capacities are still within their respective limitation periods, a claimant may plead both in the alternative \u2014 carrier liability as primary, forwarder liability as secondary (or vice versa) \u2014 and allow the court to determine which applies.<\/p>\n<h3>For defendants (freight forwarders)<\/h3>\n<p>A forwarder defending a cargo claim may seek to rely on carrier status to invoke the package limitation under Article 797, or to argue that a contractual short time bar in the reverse side conditions of the HBL is valid against the claimant. However, as 2022Gahap555517 demonstrates, the argument that &#8220;issuing a house bill of lading makes us a carrier only \u2014 not a forwarder&#8221; is rejected by Korean courts. The better defence strategy is to acknowledge the dual status and deploy carrier-side arguments (limitation of liability, contractual time bar) alongside forwarder-side defences (due care, contributory fault), without abandoning either.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section6\">6. FAQ<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-section\">\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q1. Does a freight forwarder in South Korea become a carrier when it issues a house bill of lading?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. Yes, but it does not cease to be a forwarder. Under Article 116(2) of the Korean Commercial Act, the forwarder acquires carrier status in addition to its existing forwarder status. The Seoul Central District Court confirmed in 2022Gahap555517 (2023) that the two capacities are not in an either\/or relationship \u2014 they coexist independently.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q2. Does the one-year carrier time bar under Korean law cover tort claims as well?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. Yes. Article 814(1) of the Korean Commercial Act extinguishes claims against a maritime carrier &#8220;regardless of the cause of action,&#8221; which covers both contract and tort. The one-year short prescription under Article 121 for freight forwarders, by contrast, applies only to breach of contract \u2014 not to tort.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q3. What is the limitation period for a tort claim against a freight forwarder in South Korea?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. Three years from the date the claimant became aware of the damage and the identity of the wrongdoer, subject to a ten-year long-stop from the date of the tort (Civil Act Article 766). This means that a tort claim against the forwarder may remain viable for up to three years even after the carrier&#8217;s one-year extinctive period has lapsed.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q4. Does the package limitation under Article 797 of the Korean Commercial Act apply to freight forwarder liability?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. No. Article 797 is a carrier-specific provision. There is no statutory package limitation for freight forwarders under Korean law. A claimant who structures its primary cause of action in forwarder capacity can therefore seek the full value of the damaged or lost cargo.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q5. Can a freight forwarder acquire carrier status in South Korea without issuing a bill of lading?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. Yes. Under Article 119(2) of the Korean Commercial Act, a freight forwarder also acquires carrier status when it fixes the freight rate in the forwarding contract. Both triggers \u2014 issuance of a house bill of lading (Article 116(2)) and freight rate fixing (Article 119(2)) \u2014 produce the same dual status effect (Supreme Court of Korea, 2007Da4943).<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The dual status doctrine is one of the more technically demanding areas of Korean transport law, with significant consequences for how cargo claims are pleaded, timed, and valued. Practitioners at Atlas Legal have handled cargo damage disputes involving freight forwarders operating in the Incheon and Songdo area and have advised on claim structuring at every stage from the initial notice of claim through to judgment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\" style=\"margin: 20px 0;\">\u203b The information in this post is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The applicable law and outcome may differ depending on the specific facts of each case. Please consult a qualified attorney before taking any action.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author-box\">\n<h3>About the Author<\/h3>\n<div class=\"author-name\">Taejin Kim | Managing Partner<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Corporate advisory, corporate disputes, and white-collar criminal defence<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Former Prosecutor | 33rd Class, Judicial Research and Training Institute<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">LL.B., LL.M. in Criminal Law \u2014 Korea University; LL.M. \u2014 University of California, Davis<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Atlas Legal | Incheon Songdo, South Korea<\/div>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Visit Atlas Legal<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contents 1. What is a freight forwarder, and what happens when it issues a house bill of lading in South Korea? 2. Is the dual status an either\/or choice under Korean law? 3. How do limitation periods differ between the two capacities? 4. Does the statutory package limitation apply to freight forwarder liability? 5. What&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[218,223,15,221],"tags":[675,673,671,672,674],"class_list":["post-774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-corporate-counseling","category-corporate-disputes","category-corporate","category-international-disputes","tag-cargo-claim-south-korea","tag-dual-status","tag-freight-forwarder","tag-house-bill-of-lading","tag-limitation-period"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Does a Freight Forwarder Become a Carrier Under Korean Law When It Issues a House Bill of Lading? | Atlas Legal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When a freight forwarder issues a house bill of lading in South Korea, it acquires carrier status without losing forwarder status. 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