Cannabis — South Korea

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