UPS announced that is has improved services in 13 cities to better serve the growing exporting and importing needs of businesses in Korea.

The service enhancements have been implemented in Cheonan, Asan, Icheon, Yongin, Anseong, Hwaseong, Osan, Pyeongtaek, Changwon, Haman, Busan Industrial Complex (Mieum, Macheon, Jisa), Seoul and Gimpo.

Customers in these cities will benefit from extended cut-off times for shipment pick-ups and improved shipment time-in-transit to major U.S., European, and Asian cities.

As trade opportunities in Korea continue to grow with the implementation of free trade agreements with key trade partners such as China and Vietnam, the service enhancements bring greater flexibility and efficiencies to help small and medium enterprises in Korea meet their business needs. UPS’s expanded services offer businesses with access to a full portfolio of transportation and contract logistics services, an extensive global network and a team of logistics specialists with industry-vertical expertise. Key benefits of the enhanced service include accelerated transit times to key markets in Europe, U.S., and rest of Asia by up to one day as well as up to five hours of extended shipment pickup cut-off times.

“UPS is committed to helping our customers expand and grow through improved customer service, better cost efficiency and repeat business,” said JK Rha, Managing Director of UPS in Korea. “These service enhancements combine the expertise of UPS’s technology, service and superior global network to raise the bar for logistics service and connectivity for Korean businesses in these 13 cities.”

“As supply chains in Korea become more complex, supporting our customers’ needs with robust solutions and reliable service is a key priority to help our customers remain globally competitive”, he added. “For example, local SMEs in the thriving Pangyo Techno Valley can now benefit from having more time to tender shipments with an extended cut-off time from 4:00pm to 5:30pm, allowing them to move high-value products to market more quickly.”

The latest service enhancements in Korea follow on from a series of investments undertaken by UPS to strengthen its offering in Asia Pacific and facilitate trade growth within and beyond Asia. Last year, UPS bolstered its Asia capabilities with service and network enhancements thus expanding its geographical reach, accelerating intra-Asia transit speed across 29 trade lanes connecting 41 markets and deploying market expertise in industry verticals, customs brokerage and trade management services.

UPS has pursued a strategy of steady expansion and growth in Korea, since entering the market in 1988. Its latest initiatives include the opening of the Sangam service center, providing expanded capacity and offering later cut-off times for shipment pick-up. UPS also expanded its UPS Worldwide Express service last year, allowing customers to send shipments to more than 23,000 new postal codes in Asia Pacific markets including Korea, with earlier time-guaranteed delivery options.