CBD Oil 🇰🇷 South Korea
CBD classified as narcotic
Can I bring CBD Oil into South Korea?
CBD classified as narcotic
Zero tolerance — CBD oil is prohibited without MFDS authorisation
Required at the destination customs authority
Full details
South Korea's Narcotics Control Act lists cannabidiol (CBD) under the same schedule as cannabis derivatives; there is no THC-concentration exception. Personal import by travelers is prohibited. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has issued multiple travel alerts from 2019 onwards confirming that CBD products (including hemp-derived cosmetics claiming CBD content) are treated as controlled narcotics at Incheon customs.
PENALTIES
- Fine: 30000000–300000000 KRW
- Imprisonment up to 120 months
- Criminal penalty
Active — Customs actively enforces this rule.
Leaving South Korea with cbd oil
Cannabidiol (CBD) products are treated variably across jurisdictions depending on the THC concentration. Hemp-derived CBD with THC content below the applicable threshold (0.2% in most EU states, 0.3% in the US under the 2018 Farm Bill, 0% in Thailand for commercial products) is generally exportable but destination-country rules are highly variable. Full-spectrum CBD products above threshold THC face controlled-substance treatment under Narcotics Control Act; MFDS personal-export authorisation. Carry the manufacturer's Certificate of Analysis (COA) demonstrating THC content and product provenance. Destination-country carriage rules should be verified independently.
Zero tolerance. Do not bring any CBD product to South Korea.
Zero tolerance — CBD oil is prohibited without MFDS authorisation
Narcotics Control Act
This page covers destination customs rules in South Korea. Whether you can carry cbd oil through security, in carry-on, or in checked baggage depends on airline and screening rules — see air travel rules.
CBD Oil rules in other countries
CBD Oil
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
All CBD products are prohibited. Zero-tolerance drug laws apply.
CBD Oil
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Strictly prohibited. Severe criminal penalties including imprisonment.
CBD Oil
🇸🇬 Singapore
Illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Severe penalties apply.
CBD Oil
🇹🇭 Thailand
CBD with less than 0.2% THC is permitted; higher THC content remains controlled.
CBD Oil
🇯🇵 Japan
Prohibited. Japan's Cannabis Control Act bans all cannabis-derived products.
CBD Oil
🇮🇩 Indonesia
Classified as narcotics — severe penalties