Legal status in North Korea

Per-substance legal status for North Korea, from sourced statutes where available. Legal information, not legal advice — drug laws change; confirm with the destination’s embassy or drug authority before you travel.

Last updated: 2026-07-14

1P-LSD

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 1p lsd in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

2-FDCK

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 2 fdck in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

25I-NBOMe

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 25I-NBOMe in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

2C-B

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: 2C-B is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

2C-E

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 2c e in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

2C-I

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 2C-I in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

2C-T-7

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 2C-T-7 in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

3-MMC

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 3 mmc in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

4-AcO-DMT

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 4 aco dmt in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

4-HO-MET

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 4 ho met in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

5-MeO-DMT (Bufo / Toad)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 5 meo dmt in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

6-APB

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 6 apb in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for 7 hydroxymitragynine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Adderall

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for adderall in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Alcohol

Legal status: Legal — alcohol (ethanol) is a legal, state-produced beverage (soju, Taedonggang beer), not a controlled drug.
Consequences if caught: No penalty for consumption; production and distribution are state-run.
If prescribed / medical: n/a — a beverage, not a medicine.
Documentation: Available through state shops, restaurants and hotels; domestically produced and consumed.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Amanita muscaria

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for amanita muscaria in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Amphetamine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for amphetamine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Amyl Nitrite

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for amyl nitrite in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Ayahuasca

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for ayahuasca in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Barbiturates

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for barbiturates in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Benzodiazepines

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Benzodiazepines is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Buprenorphine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for buprenorphine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Caffeine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for caffeine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Cannabis / THC

Legal status: Cannabis is a controlled drug under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — no legal recreational or medical regime, and serious drug offences are treated as grave crimes; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is imprisonment or corrective labour
Consequences if caught: Cannabis is a controlled drug in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments), with no legal recreational regime. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Cathinone

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for cathinone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

CBD

Legal status: CBD (cannabidiol) has no lawful consumer framework in North Korea — narcotics are controlled under the DPRK Criminal Law, and while cannabis's domestic status is opaque and inconsistently enforced, there is no legal CBD supplement or medical route; the precise cannabis-scheduling of CBD is left to confirmation.
Consequences if caught: Drug offences fall under the Criminal Law with arbitrary and potentially severe enforcement (labour/imprisonment); there is no reliable published cannabis-specific penalty.
If prescribed / medical: There is no CBD/Epidiolex prescription scheme.
Documentation: No documentation framework exists for CBD; there is no lawful route.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Clonazepam

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for clonazepam in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Cocaine

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Cocaine is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Codeine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for codeine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Crack Cocaine

Legal status: Crack is the freebase (base) form of cocaine and has no separate legal identity in North Korea: it is controlled AS cocaine under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments), whose narcotics provisions cover cocaine and its preparations and thus reach the base/freebase form. Serious production and trafficking are capital-eligible, and this carries over to crack whether powder or base.
Consequences if caught: Production and trafficking of crack (as cocaine) are capital-eligible under the DPRK Criminal Code; enforcement is opaque and extrajudicial outcomes are reported.
If prescribed / medical: Cocaine has no recognised lawful therapeutic use; the crack/freebase base has no medicinal preparation and cannot be prescribed.
Documentation: No prescription documentation exists for crack/freebase cocaine.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Delta-8-THC

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for delta 8 thc in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Diazepam

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for diazepam in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

DMT

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: DMT is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

DOM

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for dom in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

DXM

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for dxm in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Ephedrine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for ephedrine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Etizolam

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for etizolam in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Fentanyl

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Fentanyl is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Gabapentin

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for gabapentin in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

GBL

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for gbl in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

GHB

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: GHB is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Heroin

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Heroin is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

HHC

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for hhc in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Hydrocodone

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for hydrocodone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Ketamine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for Ketamine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Khat

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for Khat in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Kratom

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for Kratom in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Lorazepam

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for lorazepam in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

LSA (Morning Glory)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for lsa in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

LSD

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: LSD is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

MDA

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for mda in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

MDMA

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: MDMA is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

MDPV

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for mdpv in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Memantine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for memantine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Mephedrone (4-MMC)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for mephedrone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Mescaline

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Mescaline is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Methadone

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for methadone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Methamphetamine

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Methamphetamine is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Methaqualone (Quaaludes)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for methaqualone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Methylone

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for methylone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Methylphenidate

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for methylphenidate in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Mitragynine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for mitragynine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Modafinil

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for modafinil in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Morphine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for morphine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

MXE

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for mxe in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Nicotine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for nicotine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Nitrous Oxide

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for nitrous oxide in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Oxycodone

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for oxycodone in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

PCP

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: PCP is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Peyote

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for Peyote in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Phenibut

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for phenibut in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Pink Cocaine / Tusi

Legal status: Pink cocaine (tusi) is not scheduled as such; it is a variable mixture (typically ketamine + MDMA) prosecuted through its constituents — the DPRK controls MDMA under the Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments), which reaches serious drug production and trafficking. Because the blend varies batch to batch, exposure follows the most-severely-controlled component, so an MDMA-containing tusi sample carries capital exposure.
Consequences if caught: An MDMA-positive mixture engages serious drug-production and trafficking provisions of the DPRK Criminal Code that are capital-eligible, with the death penalty available for grave offences.
If prescribed / medical: No lawful supply of the mixture; MDMA has no accepted medical use, and ketamine, where present, would be a controlled medicine.
Documentation: Sold as a party powder of unknown makeup; because the blend varies batch to batch, buyers cannot know whether death-eligible MDMA is present, so capital-level legal exposure under the DPRK Criminal Code is unknowable at purchase.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Poppers

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for poppers in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Pregabalin

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for pregabalin in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Psilocybin

Legal status: Controlled under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) — serious drug production and trafficking are capital-eligible (the death penalty applies to the gravest offences), with lower-level offences punishable by imprisonment or corrective labour; the specific article is left to confirmation against the current Criminal Code; the maximum penalty is death for the gravest drug offences
Consequences if caught: Psilocybin is controlled in North Korea under the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments). In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: Not a prescribed traveller medicine in this form.
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Quetiapine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for quetiapine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Salvia divinorum

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for Salvia divinorum in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Scopolamine (Devil's Breath)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for scopolamine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2 / Spice)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for synthetic cannabinoids in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

THC-P

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for thc p in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Tobacco

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for tobacco in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Tramadol

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for tramadol in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Xanax (Alprazolam)

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for alprazolam in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-13

Xylazine

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for Xylazine in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-06-28

Zolpidem

Legal status: Not confirmed — the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing drug law; the specific scheduling/penalty for zolpidem in North Korea is not confirmed here. Verify against the current schedule.
Consequences if caught: This specific substance was not individually verified against North Korea's drug schedule; the DPRK Criminal Code (2013 revision and later amendments) is the governing law. Do NOT assume it is permitted; verify before travel. In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record.
If prescribed / medical: If a controlled medicine, carry the prescription and confirm with your embassy (see documentation).
Documentation: In North Korea, drugs fall under the Criminal Code of the DPRK (2013 revision and later amendments). The 2013 penal code revision designated illegal drug production a capital offence, and serious drug trafficking and smuggling are treated as grave crimes that can carry the death penalty; lower-level offences carry imprisonment or corrective labour. North Korea is among the small group of states with believed or confirmed drug-related executions in recent years (per the Harm Reduction International Global Overview); independent verification is constrained by extreme state opacity, and the specific Criminal Code article is left to confirmation against the current statute. The maximum penalty for the gravest drug offences is death. A primary statute portal for DPRK law was not located; this cell is sourced via the Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor (loc.gov) and the UNODC legal database, with Harm Reduction International as a corroborating record. Cannabis is a controlled drug under the same Criminal Code, with no legal recreational or medical regime. Carry any controlled medicine with its prescription and confirm requirements with your embassy before travel.

Source · Updated 2026-07-14

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary by country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with the destination’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 authorityand 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 consulatein the destination immediately — notthe 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 →

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