South Korea

South Korea enforces drug laws strictly — even mailing illegal drugs to or from Korea is commonly prosecuted, and you can be charged over drug use no matter where it happened.

Arrest, prosecution, and possible imprisonment

Verified Jul 3, 2026

Cannabis is illegal in South Korea in every recreational form, and there is no minimum amount that is overlooked. Possessing, carrying, storing or using any quantity carries up to 5 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million won. Several rules catch visitors out. It is a separate offence for anyone to provide another person with a place, facility, equipment, funds or a means of transport for a cannabis offence, so letting someone use cannabis in your apartment, hotel room or car carries the same maximum penalty as using it yourself, and even attempting it is punishable. Two rules added in 2025 reach people who never touch the drug at all: telling or showing someone information about how to carry out a prohibited cannabis act is an offence in itself, carrying up to 3 years, and merely urging or recommending that someone smoke or eat cannabis carries up to 2 years, raised by up to a half where the person encouraged is a minor. Bringing cannabis into the country is punished far more harshly than possessing it: importing it, or merely possessing it with intent to import, carries life imprisonment or a minimum of 5 years. The only lawful route is a narrow medical scheme for specific cannabis medicines already approved by an overseas regulator, and it requires advance written approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety before the medicine may be brought in, so a foreign prescription on its own is not authorisation.

Possessing, carrying, storing or using cannabis: up to 5 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million won (Narcotics Control Act art. 61(1)1 and 61(1)6). Smoking or eating cannabis carries the same range (art. 61(1)4). Providing another person with a place, facility, equipment, funds or a means of transport in order to carry out a prohibited cannabis act is banned outright by art. 3(11) and punished under art. 61(1)1 with the same maximum as using cannabis: up to 5 years or 50 million won. Habitual offences are aggravated by up to one half, and attempts are punishable, including an attempted provision of the place or vehicle (art. 61(2), (3)). Since the amendment of 1 April 2025 two further prohibitions reach people who never handle the drug. Informing or showing another person information about a prohibited cannabis act is banned by art. 3(12), subject only to a public-interest exception such as drug-abuse prevention education, and is punished under art. 62(1)5 with up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million won, with attempts punishable. Inducing or recommending that another person inject, smoke or ingest a controlled substance, cannabis included, is banned by art. 3(13) and punished under art. 63(1)17 with up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20 million won, increased by up to one half where the person induced is a minor (art. 63(2)2). Importing or exporting cannabis, including carrying it in through the airport, or possessing it for that purpose is far graver: life imprisonment or at least 5 years (art. 58(1)5), rising to death, life, or at least 10 years where the act is for profit or habitual (art. 58(2)). The Korean government states that its own nationals are prosecuted under this Act for cannabis used abroad, even in countries where it is legal; that personal-jurisdiction rule reaches Korean nationals, not foreign visitors. On enforcement in practice, the US Embassy warns that holding a US prescription does not by itself protect a traveller and that arrest or deportation can still follow, and the UK Foreign Office reports that British nationals have been detained solely on the basis of drug tests.

Verified Sep 13, 2026

Narcotics, amphetamines, and opioids need written pre-approval from Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (K-MFDS), and even poppy seeds — including bagel seasoning blends — are illegal to bring into South Korea.

Criminal charges for banned meds or poppy seeds

Verified Jul 3, 2026

Leave pepper spray, stun guns, guns (air guns included), crossbows and large knives at home. In South Korea no one may possess any of them without a police permit issued where they live, and only licensed manufacturers and dealers may import them - a tourist cannot simply declare one at customs. Blades of 15 cm or more, and some shorter ones designated by decree, count as controlled swords. The one exception: competitors at an international shooting, hunting or martial-arts event can get a temporary import and possession permit for the guns, swords or crossbows used at the event from the police at the port of entry.

Pepper spray or stun gun possessed without a permit, or imported without an import permit: up to 5 years in prison or a fine up to KRW 10 million (Art. 71). Controlled blades and crossbows, same breaches: up to 10 years or up to KRW 50 million (Art. 70-2). Pistols, rifles, shotguns, air guns and similar, same breaches: 3 to 15 years or a fine of KRW 30 million to KRW 100 million (Art. 70). Replica guns that closely resemble real firearms may not be possessed: up to 2 years or up to KRW 5 million (Arts. 11, 73).

Verified Sep 19, 2026

Poppy seeds and foods containing them (including some bagel seasoning blends) are illegal to bring into South Korea and can bring criminal charges.

Possible criminal charges for attempting to import.

Verified Jul 22, 2026

South Korea bans importing poppy seeds or any food containing them (e.g., certain bagel seasoning blends); bringing them in risks criminal charges.

Possible criminal charges.

Verified Jul 22, 2026

Korea's drinking age is 19 counted by birth YEAR, not birthday - you qualify from 1 January of the year you turn 19. Sellers must check your ID and identity, and it is the seller who gets prosecuted.

Selling, lending or giving alcohol to a youth is punishable by up to 2 years' imprisonment with labour or a fine of up to KRW 20 million (Youth Protection Act art. 59(6)); buying on a youth's behalf carries the same penalty (art. 59(7)). A youth who lied about their age is referred to a guardian under art. 50 rather than punished, so liability sits with the seller. Drinking inside a designated no-drinking zone carries an administrative fine of up to KRW 100,000 (National Health Promotion Act art. 34(3)1).

Verified Sep 8, 2026

In South Korea the smoking ban covers whole buildings, not just rooms. Article 9 of the National Health Promotion Act requires owners, occupiers and managers of the listed public-use facilities to designate the ENTIRE facility a no-smoking area (geumyeon-guyeok): government offices, schools, medical institutions, childcare facilities, libraries, theatres of 300 seats or more, sports facilities and restaurants above a set size are among the 26 listed categories. Local governments may designate further no-smoking zones outdoors and enforce a 30-metre no-smoking perimeter around kindergartens, childcare facilities and schools.

Verified Sep 18, 2026

All drivers need an International Driving Permit (or a Korean license), and a blood-alcohol level of 0.03% or higher is legally intoxicated — police run DUI checkpoints and refusing a breathalyzer cancels your license.

DUI at 0.03% BAC; license loss for refusing a test

Verified Jul 3, 2026

Do not bring a signal jammer to South Korea. The Radio Waves Act allows jammers to be used only by the state for listed public-safety operations - presidential security, military activity, counter-terrorism, stopping violations at airports, physical protection of nuclear facilities and related police work - and manufacturing, importing or selling one without authorization from the Minister of Science and ICT is a crime. The Act also makes it a crime to disrupt radio communications by impairing radio equipment "by any other method".

Manufacturing, importing or selling a jammer without authorization: up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 30 million (Radio Waves Act art. 84 item 1-2, with art. 29(5)). Disrupting radio used for telecommunications, broadcasting, policing, weather, power supply or rail, ship and aircraft operation by impairing radio equipment: up to 10 years or KRW 100 million; any other radio equipment: up to 5 years or KRW 50 million; attempts are punishable (art. 82).

Verified Sep 20, 2026

There are no legal restrictions on consensual same-sex sexual relations in South Korea, though same-sex marriage is not legally recognized.

Verified Jul 22, 2026