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South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it identified 949 online posts illegally selling or promoting GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Mounjaro.
The agency reviewed online sales, advertising and brokerage activity from Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, including overseas direct purchases and person-to-person transactions. The posts appeared on online shopping sites, internet forums and blogs, social media and secondhand marketplaces. Regulators asked the relevant authorities to block access to the listings.
Most violations — 716 posts, or 75.4% — involved online sales or message-board posts directing consumers to sales sites. Another 129 posts, or 13.6%, promoted sellers or provided links through forums and blogs. Regulators also found 72 social media posts directing users to private chat accounts and 32 secondhand sales listings.
Prescription Drugs Carry Online Purchase Risks
GLP-1 drugs increase glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppress glucagon secretion, delay hunger and support weight loss. South Korean regulators said the medications are sometimes misused for cosmetic purposes.
The ministry stressed that obesity treatments are prescription drugs that should be obtained after a medical visit and used at the prescribed dose under a pharmacist’s guidance. It urged consumers not to buy them through overseas direct-purchase channels or private sales.
Products purchased abroad without South Korean approval may not have been adequately evaluated for safety and effectiveness, the agency said. Because their manufacturing and distribution routes can be difficult to verify, they may also be counterfeit or defective. Consumers who are harmed may have limited access to recalls, compensation or other legal protections.
GLP-1 medications also require temperature-controlled storage. Even authentic products can deteriorate if proper refrigeration or freezing conditions are not maintained while they are shipped into South Korea, regulators warned.
The ministry said it would continue monitoring illegal online sales, advertising and brokerage activity. Information about drugs approved in South Korea, including dosage instructions and safety precautions, is available through the ministry’s Drug Safety Korea website.
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