Weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have been illegally traded to South Korea in huge quantities in the first half of 2026. The drugs, originally introduced for diabetes/obesity, are now being used for weight loss across the globe and are being illegally traded to countries that face a surge in demand for both drugs.
According to data collected by the Korean Customs Service, over 4,155 cases of illegal imports of the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro were reported in South Korea from January to June. The number of illegal trade cases shows an alarming increase from 1189 cases that were detected last year to over a 3.5 per cent increase in weight-loss drug imports in South Korea during early 2026. The Korean Customs Service also mentioned that South Korean customs cleared 391 cases of the drugs legally earlier this year.
Both Wegovy and Mounjaro were launched in South Korea in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Wegovy was launched by Novo Nordisk, and Mounjaro was launched by Eli Lily & Company. However, since the domestic launch, the demand for both drugs has escalated in South Korea.
In 2024, the illegal trade of Weight Loss Drugs in South Korea was reported as low as four cases, to 1189 last year and now almost 4,000 just in the first 6 months of 2026. According to the Korean Customs Service, only 596 of the cases of Wegovy and Mounjaro since 2024 have been legally cleared through South Korea Customs. In 2024, 14 cases were legally approved, 191 in 2025 and 391 in the first half of 2026.
Most of the illegal purchases of Wegovy and Mounjaro were done through international mail, where customers ordered online from various countries and got it internationally shipped to South Korea. International mail accounts for 84.8 per cent of these illegal imports of weight loss drugs. There were only 2 reported mail cases in 2024, to 1046 last year and 3489 this year.
Imports through personal travel and belongings also rose from one case in 2024 to 134 in 2025 and 656 in the first half of this year.
The biggest cause behind the surge in illegal imports of the weight loss drugs is the difference in pricing for Wegovy and Mounjaro domestically and Overseas. It was reported that a month's worth of doses for Mounjaro costs 15,000 won if bought through an overseas website. The same dosage of the weight loss drugs would cost almost double if bought from a doctor’s clinic in South Korea.
The Korean Customs Service also noted that in 656 cases, the weight loss drugs were brought into the country by personal travellers, which is an increase from 134 cases last year.
As per the KCS advisory, general medicines can be brought into South Korea from other overseas countries in limited quantities, up to 6 bottles or a 3-month supply. But Mounjaro and Wegovy, even though marketed as miraculous drugs, are designed as “harmful” for the body by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, making them illegal for trade in huge quantities without proper documentation and approvals from the customs department.
According to drug utilization review data submitted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service to Rep, the rise in demand for such weight loss drugs, including Wegovy and Mounjaro, is quite prominent in younger Koreans. It was also reported that more than 1.5 million people were prescribed Mounjaro since its domestic launch.
The largest age group represented was individuals in their 30s at 36%. They were followed by people in their 40s (27.1%), 20s (16.9%), and 50s (14.6%).
Prescriptions of Wegovy and Mounjaro for teenagers have been on the rise since their launch, and the number tends to grow every year.
(Rh/ARC)