Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Join Forces to Eradicate Illegal Drug Distribution and Sales

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo (left) and Commissioner Lee Ui-kyung of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety signed a business agreement on the 4th at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, to prevent sports doping and eradicate the distribution and sale of illegal pharmaceuticals, and are taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety identified last year that the banned drug steroid was being illegally distributed and sold through the internet and other channels, and conducted a large-scale crackdown, apprehending 16 individuals who manufactured and sold illegal pharmaceuticals. In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, sanctions such as disqualification were imposed on athletes who purchased and administered these drugs in accordance with anti-doping regulations.

Going forward, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plan to strengthen their collaborative efforts to prevent sports doping and eradicate the illegal distribution and sale of pharmaceuticals. On the 4th, Park Yang-woo, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Lee Eui-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art outlining these initiatives. They plan to link the sports anti-doping policies promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with the investigative activities against illegal pharmaceutical distribution and sales led by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. They will also cooperate on education, publicity, and research to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal pharmaceuticals and the damage to sports fairness caused by doping.

A representative from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "Through cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, we expect to move beyond crackdowns focused on illegal pharmaceutical manufacturers and sellers to also suppress purchases and eradicate illegal pharmaceutical distribution."

A representative from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added, "Systematic information sharing and cooperation with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will raise awareness to prevent athletes from succumbing to the temptation of doping. Since doping is becoming widespread even in gyms and academies, we expect that this cooperation will protect the health of not only athletes but also a greater number of citizens."

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