The more people develop belly fat, the more profits obesity drug makers stand to gain. (Image courtesy of Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH))
SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — As the South Korean government tightens oversight of new weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro to curb misuse, some users are sidestepping domestic restrictions by traveling to Japan for easier access.
Despite recent price stabilization in the domestic market, a growing number of South Koreans are turning to Japanese beauty clinics where the drugs can reportedly be prescribed without strict medical criteria. According to online posts and whistleblower reports shared with Yonhap News, clinics in cities like Fukuoka and Tokyo issue prescriptions regardless of body mass index (BMI), offering what users describe as a “quick and easy” alternative.
Many travelers then exploit a customs rule allowing individuals to carry up to a three-month personal supply of medication into South Korea. Though such drugs require prescriptions in principle, they often pass through customs unchecked when hand-carried, effectively bypassing regulation.
Online forums such as DC Inside feature detailed “travel guides” and reviews from individuals boasting of successfully importing the drugs through this method, raising concerns over uncontrolled use for cosmetic rather than medical purposes.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Food and Drug Safety Ministry have begun cracking down on domestic misuse by designating these GLP-1–based treatments as “drugs at risk of abuse” and tightening oversight on illegal in-clinic compounding.
However, officials warn that the overseas route poses a growing blind spot. With powerful prescription drugs entering the country without safety checks or medical supervision, health experts are calling for urgent action to close the customs loophole and monitor foreign clinic activity targeting Korean consumers.
“The government’s effort to regulate misuse is being undercut by a new kind of medical tourism,” one public health expert said. “This cross-border gray zone could undermine both safety and public trust.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
