Buying GLP-1 medicines in South Korea: prescriptions and travel

Check the Korean product record with MFDS

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is South Korea's national medicines authority. Ask a local clinician or pharmacist to find the current product record, brand, dosage form and approved use. Approval abroad does not mean approval in Korea. A diabetes formulation on the market does not mean the obesity formulation is available too. The current Korean status of every oral and injectable brand covered here has not been independently confirmed, so check yours.

Find out which traveller rules apply to your medicine

MFDS runs a permit process for travellers carrying medicines with controlled substances. The process applies only when the ingredient sits in a controlled category. A GLP-1 medicine is not controlled because it is prescription-only or injected. If the general guidance leaves your case unclear, ask the relevant authority about the exact ingredient, quantity and device.

Prepare for a consultation in Korea

Bring your medicine list, your health history and a record of your previous GLP-1 doses. Note the date of your last dose, any gaps in treatment and any side effects. If the clinician suggests a different Korean product, ask why and ask for its instructions. A translation must keep the ingredient and strength exact. Keep the original prescription with you so no detail gets lost.

Ask about cost and ongoing supply first

Ask whether the consultation, the medicine and follow-up are billed separately, and whether your insurance pays. Find out which pharmacy will dispense and how to reach its pharmacist. If you plan to take the medicine abroad, check the destination's import rules before you buy extra stock. Plan transport and storage for your exact pen or pack. Get advice before you use a product with an unclear temperature history.

Check the product with MFDS before you buy

Confirm the exact product and its approved use with MFDS before buying Mounjaro, Wegovy injection, Wegovy tablets or Foundayo in South Korea. Approval, clinical suitability, insurance cover, pharmacy stock and import permission each need their own check.

• Ask a clinician in South Korea which product suits you and whether your treatment history is enough for an assessment.
• Get the full cost in writing, covering consultations, dispensing and delivery, before you sign up to ongoing treatment.
• Keep the labelled packaging, the prescription and the dispensing record. Show any damaged parcel or medicine with an unclear storage history to the pharmacist before you use it.