[Exclusive] "Why secretly import it from abroad when it's sold in Korea too?"... 'This drug' detected in 5,515 illegal import cases

5,515 illegal imports detected from January to September this year, up 364%
International mail detections surged 18-fold for China and 47-fold for Cambodia
Imports in travelers' carry-on items also diversified to Vietnam, the U.S. and Thailand

Cases of illegally importing obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro from overseas are on the rise, and the countries from which they are brought in are becoming more diverse. The routes, once centered on India and Japan, are expanding to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, the United States and other countries.

Bae Junyoung, a People Power Party lawmaker. Yonhap News

Data provided by the Korea Customs Service to the office of Bae Junyoung, a People Power Party lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Finance and Economy Planning Committee, showed that 5,515 cases of illegal overseas imports of Wegovy and Mounjaro were detected from January to September this year. The imports had been banned following notifications from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety that the drugs were harmful. The figure represents a 363.84% increase over the 1,189 cases detected in all of the previous year. By type of import, international mail accounted for the most cases (4,143), followed by travelers’ personal effects (1,349) and express cargo (23).

Illegal imports, once concentrated in India and Japan, are now spreading to multiple countries. Among imports sent by international mail, India (3,867 cases) and Japan (166 cases) ranked first and second, respectively. The number of cases involving Japan fell from 258 the previous year. Meanwhile, cases involving China, ranked third, and Cambodia, ranked fourth, surged approximately 18-fold and 47-fold, to 53 and 47 cases, respectively.

Travelers’ personal effects showed a similar shift. Last year, Japan accounted for the vast majority of detected cases, with 110 cases, or 82.09%. This year, its share fell to 62.71% (846 cases), while import routes diversified to include China (300 cases), Vietnam (78), the United States (58) and Thailand (11). The number of cases involving China rose approximately 16-fold, Vietnam 78-fold and the United States 29-fold.

The Korea Customs Service faces limitations in enforcing the rules. Enforcement is focused on major countries such as India and Japan, and because selling the treatments is not illegal in those countries, South Korea relies solely on domestic inspections without coordination between countries. This means that the wider the routes for illegal imports become, the easier it may be for them to evade enforcement.

Assemblyman Bae said, “The Korea Customs Service and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety should closely track changes in major products and import routes and concentrate enforcement resources on vulnerable routes.” He added, “The relevant authorities should also consider how to create an environment where people can receive treatment with safe prescriptions and at reasonable cost.”

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