'Russian COVID-19 Treatment' Purchased... Illegal Drugs Exploiting Loopholes in Overseas Direct Purchase

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] "Selling Russian-made COVID-19 treatment Triaclavirin. We purchase it locally and send it to you."

Triaclavirin is a virus infection treatment developed in Russia. The Russian health authorities have certified its virus replication inhibition effect, and clinical trials are underway in China for patients with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Although it gained popularity as a COVID-19 treatment, it has not received official sales approval in South Korea. Nevertheless, if purchased through overseas direct purchase, Triaclavirin can be bought without significant restrictions, indicating a need for regulatory measures.

On the 25th, advertisements selling Triaclavirin were easily found on social networking services (SNS). All promoted it as highly effective against COVID-19. When actually contacting a Russian seller to inquire about purchasing, the response was, "Selling 20 tablets of Triaclavirin for 120,000 KRW," adding, "You can purchase up to 120 tablets. We will send it to South Korea via international postal express (EMS)." They further explained, "If the purchase quantity is respected and it is for personal use, legal customs clearance is possible."

As the seller mentioned, Triaclavirin is a medicine that has never been officially imported or approved for sale in South Korea, but overseas direct purchase is possible. This is due to a loophole in the current Customs Act. The Customs Act exempts customs clearance and duties for medicines recognized as personal use items under $150 (approximately 180,000 KRW) and within 6 bottles or a 3-month supply. Unlike the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, which prohibits online sales of medicines and requires import approval, overseas direct purchase is allowed within certain limits. A Customs Service official said, "Overseas direct purchase of Triaclavirin is fundamentally possible," adding, "There is currently no request from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to withhold customs clearance for this medicine."

As public interest in COVID-19 treatments grows, importing medicines through overseas direct purchase can lead to misuse and illegal sales. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency recently arrested Mr. A on charges of violating the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act for importing and distributing Triaclavirin. He is suspected of purchasing small quantities of Triaclavirin from Russia since February this year and selling it domestically. To address such issues, Kim Sang-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed a partial amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in 2018 to prohibit purchasing and importing foreign medicines via information and communication networks unless recognized by the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for self-treatment purposes, but the bill did not pass the National Assembly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.