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Starting from the 12th, the obesity treatment drugs Maunjaro and Wegobi, which were purchased with regular prescriptions from overseas, will be allowed to be brought into the country.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that, after consultation with the Korea Customs Service, it has decided not to restrict the personal carry-on of medicines for self-treatment prescribed by domestic and foreign medical institutions.
Accordingly, the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) series of obesity treatment drugs, whose customs clearance had been virtually restricted until now, can now be officially imported.
GLP-1 is a hormone that helps control blood sugar and weight by suppressing appetite and increasing satiety. Wigobi and Maunjaro belong to this class of obesity treatment drugs.
Basically, the maximum amount that can be brought in is 6 bottles, but even if it exceeds this, it is allowed as long as it is within a 3-month supply. In the case of Maunjaro, which is injected once a week, a maximum of 12 to 13 can be brought in.
This includes not only medications purchased by prescription from a local medical institution while traveling abroad, but also medications taken during a long-term stay abroad or returning with leftover medications after leaving the country.
However, direct purchase of medicines through overseas online sites or importation through international mail is still not permitted, and psychotropic drugs and narcotics are also prohibited as before.
‘Sushi Jar’ from Japan
Attention is being paid to whether this measure will increase the demand for prescriptions for obesity treatment, especially in Japan.
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One of the biggest reasons for seeking a prescription for Maunjaro in Japan is its price competitiveness.
Comparing the price of Maunjaro 2.5 mg for 4 weeks, the lowest price registered at a Korean pharmacy is 269,000 won, while the price offered to foreign travelers by a hospital in Osaka, Japan is 14,800 yen (about 125,000 won). Japan is about 144,000 won cheaper than Korea, or about 53%.
It was found that some medical institutions in Japan sell the same dose starting at about 76,000 won.
However, this is a comparison of the lowest price at a Korean pharmacy and the published price of a specific medical institution in Japan, so additional costs such as medical treatment and testing fees may be incurred when actually prescribing.
The reason for this price difference is the pharmaceutical pricing structure of the two countries.
In Japan, Maunjaro is included in the health insurance drug price system as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, and the government manages drug prices. Health insurance does not apply in Japan when prescriptions are prescribed for the purpose of treating obesity, but the price structure based on insurance drug prices also affects the price of non-reimbursed prescriptions.
On the other hand, in Korea, Maunjaro is prescribed as a non-reimbursed drug for the purpose of treating obesity, so patients bear the full cost of the drug, and the price varies greatly depending on the medical institution.
In response to the phenomenon of Maunjaro being prescribed relatively cheaply in Japan, a new word, 'Sushijaro', which combines 'sushi' and 'Maunjaro', has emerged.
In fact, since the 11th, when news of the relaxation of regulations became known, there has been a series of posts in online communities asking about local hospitals in Japan and how to prescribe medicine.
One community post asked, "I'm going to Hiroshima, Japan in December. Please tell me where I can buy Maunjaro," and another user posted a request for help from people who are familiar with Maunjaro in Japan.
Before traveling to Japan, there appears to be a movement to find out about local hospitals where medicines can be obtained and how to purchase them.
Obesity treatment craze even leads to ‘Indojaro’
In addition to Japan, India and China are also attracting attention as countries where the price competitiveness of obesity treatment drugs is outstanding.
In particular, as the prices of Maunjaro and Wigobi in India were lower than in Korea, the expression 'Indojaro', meaning Maunjaro purchased in India, appeared in Korea.
According to the price list for November 2026 released by PharmEasy, an Indian pharmaceutical distributor, the maximum retail price for 4 weeks of Maunjaro Quickpen 2.5mg is 13,125 rupees (about 187,000 won). Compared to the lowest price registered at pharmacies in Korea, which is 269,000 won, it is about 82,000 won cheaper.
Wegobee is also priced at 10,850 rupees (about 155,000 won) for a 4-week starting dose of 0.25 mg in India.
Compared to the average price of about 246,000 won at public pharmacies for the same dose for 4 weeks in Korea, there is a difference of about 90,000 won.
The reason behind the lower prices in India is the entry of local pharmaceutical companies into the generic drug market.
As Novo Nordisk's semaglutide patent expired in March 2026, Indian pharmaceutical companies launched low-priced products one after another, and Novo Nordisk also reduced the price of Wegobi by up to 48%.
Reuters also reported that competition in the market is intensifying as local pharmaceutical companies are releasing generic drugs that are up to 70% cheaper than existing products.
Meanwhile, China is also one of the markets where price competition for obesity treatments is intensifying.
Novo Nordisk cut the price of Wigobi high-capacity products by up to 48% in some regions of China at the end of 2025, and Eli Lilly also began lowering Maunzaro prices.
However, it has not yet been confirmed that price cuts in China are leading Koreans to travel for prescriptions.
Safety management tasks still remain
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Patients' options have expanded as obesity treatments prescribed overseas can be brought into the country, but concerns have also been raised about the safe use and management of the drugs.
GLP-1 obesity treatments such as Maunjaro and Wigobi are prescription drugs that require a doctor's prescription and continuous medication management.
Even if medications prescribed from abroad are brought into the country and used, management by medical staff is required taking into account the patient's health condition, existing diseases, and whether other medications are being taken.
Kang Jae-heon, a professor of family medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, explained to the BBC that these drugs are medicines whose dosages must be adjusted while continuously monitoring the effectiveness and side effects.
He said, "When receiving a prescription for medication overseas, it is questionable whether sufficient consultation has been provided even if you receive face-to-face or non-face-to-face treatment with local medical staff. In particular, if you bring up to a three-month supply and self-administer the medication without continuous supervision by medical staff, it is difficult to properly confirm the safety and effectiveness of the drug and there are concerns that it may lead to misuse."
The storage and distribution process of drugs is also an area that requires careful attention. Maunjaro and Wigobi are injectable drugs that must adhere to storage conditions specified for each product.
If the appropriate temperature is not maintained during the process of purchasing overseas and returning home, the quality of medicines may be affected.
The government is also continuing to take management measures to prevent illegal distribution and misuse of medicines. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety inspected illegal online sales, brokerage, and advertising of GLP-1 type obesity treatments from January to September of this year, detected 949 posts in violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, and requested access to them be blocked.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety explained that it is difficult to confirm the safety and effectiveness of overseas online direct or private transactions, and that there are concerns that products may deteriorate due to failure to adhere to storage conditions.
Professor Kang believed that if proper care is taken during the transportation process, the refrigeration problem itself may not be the biggest risk.
He said, “Under the premise that appropriate care is taken during transportation, subsequent management by medical staff is a more important issue,” and emphasized again, “Maunjaro and Wigobi can cause side effects such as acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis, and sarcopenia, so observation by medical staff is necessary during administration.”
This is because the dose may need to be adjusted or medication discontinued depending on the patient's condition.
Professor Kang pointed out that it is unclear whether patients who have been prescribed medication overseas will visit domestic medical staff and receive ongoing care.
He said, "If that's the case, it means that a patient who received a 3-month prescription from a foreign country is taking the 3-month medication on his own without any specialist monitoring. That part is actually the most concerning."
