KB News Desk
A government inspection found controlled substances in 22 of 32 food products purchased from overseas websites, prompting authorities to warn that bringing such products into South Korea could lead to criminal penalties.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Wednesday, the inspection detected 11 types of controlled substances in products whose labels or advertisements featured terms such as “Cannabis,” “Hemp” and “Kanna,” or related plant imagery.
The detected substances included tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, as well as mitragynine and mesembrine. Mesembrine is designated as a temporary controlled substance in Korea.
It was found in nine of the 12 products labeled as containing kanna.
Among the affected products, nine were dietary supplements, six were jellies, five were beverages, one was a chocolate product and one was a cookie product.
Some 15 of the 22 products did not list a manufacturer, country of origin or both, which the ministry said suggested they may have been illegally manufactured or distributed. Of the seven products that carried manufacturing information, six were from the United States and one was from Germany.
Under the Narcotics Control Act, unauthorized importation of cannabis can carry a sentence of life imprisonment or at least five years in prison. Cannabis use is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($34,000).
“Anyone who brings food containing cannabis or other controlled substances into Korea or consumes such products may be subject to punishment under the Narcotics Control Act,” the ministry said.
It urged consumers to check whether products are listed on the ministry’s overseas direct-purchase food safety website before ordering them.
