Is Memantine legal in South Korea?
- Legal status
- Memantine is a prescription drug (jeonmun-uiyakpum), not a controlled drug: memantine products are registered with the MFDS integrated drug information system and are not listed under the Act on the Control of Narcotics.
- Consequences if caught
- Memantine attracts no narcotics-control penalty; supplying this prescription drug without authorisation is a pharmaceutical-affairs matter only.
- If prescribed or medical
- Prescribed for moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's dementia, initiated by a physician experienced in dementia care.
- Documentation
- Memantine tablets are registered in the MFDS (nedrug) product database; carried lawfully with a prescription.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with South Korea’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →