There are plenty of examples of people being caught trying to smuggle drugs into South Korea, but fireworks?:

Screeners at Honolulu International Airport have confiscated fireworks found in the luggage of a man trying to catch a flight to South Korea.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the U.S. citizen was allowed to board the flight Tuesday after surrendering a dozen fountain fireworks.

It’s illegal to transport any fireworks on commercial aircraft.

Gregor says fireworks igniting on a plane could be “catastrophic.” He says people have to understand that fireworks, even the smallest sparklers, pose a fire risk onboard commercial aircraft.  [KPUA]

I wonder if this guy was trying to smuggle the fireworks just to see whether he could get away with it or not?