South Korea
Asia
#184 of 196 worldwide
#37 of 48 in Asia
Up to five years for use, enforced even for use abroad by citizens. A few cannabinoid medicines can be imported through a state agency.
Score breakdown ▏world average
Select a segment to show or hide the exact rules and sources.
Possession · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Under the Narcotics Control Act, possessing, acquiring, transporting or storing cannabis carries up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. This includes edibles, vapes and gummies brought or mailed from abroad.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Cultivation falls under the same up-to-five-year provision, with heavier penalties when for sale.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
Strict and actively enforced, with customs screening, hair testing and prosecutions of celebrities making regular headlines. First offenders often receive suspended sentences.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Supplying or selling is punished more severely, with a minimum of one year.
Consumption · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Smoking or ingesting cannabis is itself an offence with up to five years. Korean criminal law follows citizens abroad: the government has repeatedly warned that Koreans who use cannabis in Canada, Thailand or US states where it is legal can be prosecuted on return, and hair tests can detect use months later.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
More context not part of the score
Hemp is grown under permit for fibre and seed in designated areas; no other production.
No consumer products, CBD included, unless approved as a medicine.
In November 2018 South Korea became the first East Asian country to allow cannabis-based medicines, but only a handful of approved pharmaceuticals for conditions such as severe epilepsy, imported patient by patient through a state orphan-drug centre.
A drug conviction carries heavy social stigma, ends careers, and leads to deportation for foreigners.
All sources
- The Korea Times — Koreans who smoke weed overseas to face criminal charges, government warns (2024)
- The Korea Times — Customs service warns against products containing marijuana (2024)
- Seoul Law Group — Is cannabis legal in Korea?
- Filter — Why South Korean and Japanese people still can't legally smoke weed in Canada
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