"30,000 Won in Korea, 70,000 Won in Japan"—Koreans Fill Suitcases as Illegal Direct Purchases Soar

Illegal Direct Purchases of Wegovy and Mounjaro Surge
1,189 Cases Last Year, 4,155 in the First Half of This Year

"If you buy Sushijaro (a slang term on the internet for ‘Japanese Mounjaro’), you'll more than make up for your airfare."

The number of cases where people have been caught illegally bringing obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro into the country from abroad has surged. Although the government has strengthened crackdowns due to concerns over abuse and safety issues, the stark price gap between Korea and overseas—combined with the currently weak Japanese yen—has led to a dramatic increase in illegal imports via international mail or carried as personal luggage by travelers.

An image generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to aid understanding of the article. ChatGPT

Over Seven Times the Legal Imports... ‘Direct Purchases by International Mail’ Have Become the Main Illegal Entry Route

According to the Korea Customs Service on August 24, the number of illegal import cases involving obesity treatments such as Mounjaro and Wegovy totaled 4,155 from January to June this year. This figure already exceeds 3.5 times the 1,189 cases detected over the entire previous year.

Since these drugs were launched in Korea, the trend shows a sharp climb: only 4 cases were detected in 2024, which rose to 1,189 cases in 2025, and jumped to 4,155 cases in the first half of this year—totaling 5,348 cumulatively.

Meanwhile, during the same period, only 596 cases (14 in 2024, 191 in 2025, and 391 in the first half of 2026) were legally cleared through authorized importers, highlighting the distorted situation in which illegal imports vastly outnumber the legitimate volume.

Obesity Treatment Drug Mounjaro. Reuters Yonhap News

By import channel, illegal direct purchases via international mail accounted for the overwhelming majority. The number of mail-related detections soared from 2 cases in 2024 and 1,046 in 2025 to 3,489 in the first half of this year—representing 84.8% of total cases detected. This is attributed to the widespread practice of individuals buying medications directly on foreign websites and receiving them via international mail.

During the same period, cases involving traveler’s personal baggage also rose—from 1 case in 2024 and 134 in 2025 to 656 in the first half of this year. As for express courier shipments, there were just 1, 9, and 10 cases in the respective years.

A Price Difference of Up to Fourfold... Travelers Seek Out ‘Sushijaro’

The fundamental driver behind the surge in illegal imports is the extreme price disparity between Korea and overseas markets. For example, a 2.5mg, four-week supply of Mounjaro is priced at a minimum of 290,000 won at the lowest-cost clinics in Korea, whereas in Japan, it costs only around 74,000 won—about one fourth the price. Even for the higher 10mg dosage, the price is 540,000 won in Korea compared to just 294,000 won in Japan.

This price gap is interpreted as stemming from differences in drug pricing systems and market conditions. In Japan, Mounjaro is covered under national health insurance as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, allowing the government to regulate prices, while recent competition among online clinics has pushed prices down even further. In contrast, in Korea, obesity medications are considered non-reimbursable and are not covered by health insurance, so individual medical institutions can set their own prices freely.

Additionally, the recent drop in the won-yen exchange rate to the 800 won range, coupled with demand to secure higher-dose products—difficult to obtain locally—appear to be fueling the cross-border shopping craze.

A sold-out notice posted on a medicine container at a pharmacy in Seoul city. Photo by Yonhap News

Information on ways to skirt the law for illegal imports is openly circulating online. There are numerous testimonials: "If you buy a three-month supply of Sushijaro, it covers your airfare," "Here’s how to avoid customs inspections," and "Checked baggage isn't fully inspected, so it’s fine."

Mr. A, who recently purchased a two-month supply of Mounjaro in Japan, recounted, "I was worried that I’d look suspicious if I hand-carried the bag, so I put it in my backpack and fortunately wasn’t caught." Some local Japanese clinics are actively marketing to Korean consumers, providing notices in Korean, as well as offering counseling and interpretation services via KakaoTalk.

Enforcement Strengthened, But Practical Difficulties Remain

According to current Korea Customs Service regulations on import customs clearance, ordinary pharmaceuticals for personal use can be brought in up to six bottles or a three-month supply. However, both Mounjaro and Wegovy are classified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety as ‘hazardous pharmaceuticals,’ meaning importation is completely prohibited without a waiver recommendation for import requirement verification. The Korea Customs Service is conducting crackdowns regardless of quantity as per notification from the Ministry, and all seized items at the clearance stage are held and destroyed in full.

A Korea Customs Service official stated, "Unauthorized importation of Wegovy or Mounjaro constitutes a serious violation of customs law," adding, "We will thoroughly block the illegal inflow of hazardous pharmaceuticals at the border."

Outside view of the Korea Customs Service building. Korea Customs Service

However, relying solely on customs clearance checks is not enough to curb the explosive demand for these imports. It is practically impossible to inspect every piece of travelers’ luggage, and even when contraband is discovered, it is typically just confiscated and destroyed, as there are few specific penalties in place.

Experts point out that simply ramping up crackdowns will not suffice; instead, institutional measures to narrow the domestic-foreign price gap and substantially reduce patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs should be implemented in tandem.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.