Eleven medical institutions investigated for suspected propofol misuse
Published: 28 May. 2026, 16:09
Updated: 28 May. 2026, 17:53
![Confiscated narcotics are displayed during a briefing on the crackdown results involving medical institutions specializing in illegal propofol and other drug injections at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Nov. 20, 2024. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/28/703a1072-7c10-4f62-b422-d230a293ffa2.jpg)
Confiscated narcotics are displayed during a briefing on the crackdown results involving medical institutions specializing in illegal propofol and other drug injections at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Nov. 20, 2024. [NEWS1]
Eleven medical institutions in southern Seoul’s Gangnam and Seocho districts were referred for investigation on suspicion of abusing the medical narcotic propofol, along with patients who received propofol there, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Thursday.
The government conducted joint inspections with local governments starting in March, targeting 27 hospitals and clinics suspected of violating laws governing medical narcotics.
Propofol is a commonly used anesthetic in Korea and can only be administered for medical reasons. The drug was classified as a psychotropic substance by the Drug Safety Ministry in 2011 due to concerns over abuse. Misuse of the drug can be fatal.
Cases of propofol abuse and misuse have become a persistent problem in Korea, especially in districts such as Gangnam and Seocho, which are densely packed with clinics and medical institutions specializing in cosmetic procedures.
For example, one doctor repeatedly administered the psychotropic drug propofol to a patient over about 10 months despite insufficient medical grounds, such as for simple skin procedures. About two liters (0.53 gallons) of propofol was given over 10 sessions per session.
![Confiscated narcotics are displayed during a briefing on the crackdown results involving medical institutions specializing in illegal propofol and other drug injections at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Nov. 20, 2024. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/28/222461e6-c08d-47bc-9ca7-4a83299da03a.jpg)
Confiscated narcotics are displayed during a briefing on the crackdown results involving medical institutions specializing in illegal propofol and other drug injections at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Nov. 20, 2024. [YONHAP]
Separately, the ministry requested administrative sanctions against 11 institutions for violating management obligations, including failing to properly report narcotics handling records. The institutions subject to administrative action included eight medical institutions that were also referred for investigation.
The ministry also referred 13 people for investigation for so-called “medical shopping,” in which patients repeatedly visited multiple medical institutions to receive propofol injections.
One patient, for instance, engaged in so-called medical shopping by visiting 43 medical institutions and repeatedly receiving propofol injections 147 times from February 2023 through March this year. In other words, the patient received propofol injections an average of 3.8 times per month.
Last month, the ministry conducted a first-round inspection targeting medical institutions suspected of violating narcotics handling regulations and found 17 institutions in violation of the Narcotics Control Act.
“Medical narcotics can lead to addiction if abused or misused and may cause serious harm to individuals and society, so special caution is needed,” said Oh Yu-kyoung, minister of Food and Drug Safety.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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