South Korean Lawmaker Proposes Expanding Narcotics Theft‑Prevention Rules to All Controlled Substances

On the 2nd, Representative Seo Young‑seok of the Democratic Party announced the filing of an amendment to the Narcotics Control Act. The proposal seeks to expand the current theft‑and‑leak prevention requirements, which are limited to medical‑use narcotics, to cover all narcotics. Under existing law, handlers of medical narcotics must comply with safety measures prescribed by a presidential decree to prevent theft or unauthorized release. The amendment would extend these compliance obligations to include standard narcotic substances and raw‑material pharmaceuticals, thereby encompassing academic researchers and other entities that handle non‑medical narcotics. If enacted, the change aims to strengthen overall control of controlled substances in South Korea and reduce the risk of diversion across the entire narcotics supply chain.