South Korea sees surge in controlled-drug prescriptions, especially among youth
A parliamentary research service reported that about 20.01 million South Koreans received controlled drugs in 2024, with prescriptions for children and teenagers nearly doubling since 2020.
According to a report by one outlet Assembly Research Service, 20.01 million South Koreans were given controlled substances in 2024, representing about 1.93 billion doses issued through roughly 100 million prescriptions. The category, defined as medical narcotics, includes drugs for pain, anesthesia, anxiety, sleep disorders and ADHD. While the sheer number of patients does not prove misuse, the data show that prescriptions for individuals 19 years old and younger almost doubled since 2020, and ADHD medication doses increased 139 percent to 90.2 million.
The study noted a rise in illegal online advertising of ADHD drugs as “smart drugs” and identified 13,545 instances of prohibited remote prescribing between January 2023 and May 2025, with controlled drugs involved in 84.2 percent of those cases. Existing monitoring systems were deemed insufficient, prompting calls for real-time oversight and stricter regulation.
Why it matters
The rapid growth in controlled-drug use, especially among minors, raises public-health and regulatory concerns in South Korea.
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