The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it has flagged 108 online posts illegally distributing or falsely advertising contact lenses. Because contact lenses are medical devices that require verification of their safety and effectiveness, direct overseas purchases by consumers are banned in principle, and shoppers should be cautious of sites that sell foreign products while requesting a personal customs clearance number.
The ministry said on the 25th that it inspected the online distribution and advertising of daily-wear and extended-wear soft contact lenses from the 10th to the 14th of this month, flagged 108 posts that violated the Medical Devices Act, and asked the Korea Communications Standards Commission and other bodies to block access to them.
Some 83% of the flagged posts were on general shopping sites selling products from overseas, including Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. By product, daily-wear soft contact lenses were the most common at 76% of the total, while extended-wear lenses accounted for 24%.
To bring medical devices such as contact lenses into the country, a company licensed to import medical devices must complete import approval, certification and reporting procedures for each product. Direct purchases by consumers through overseas sites are not permitted in principle.
In particular, it is also illegal for an online seller to request a buyer's personal customs clearance number and then ship a foreign medical device that has not received domestic approval. Products that have not gone through formal import procedures have not been verified for safety and effectiveness in Korea, and consumers may find it difficult to receive protection under Korean law if side effects or harm occur.
The ministry urged consumers to check whether a product has received formal domestic approval, certification or reporting through its "Medical Device Safety Bookstore" service before buying. It also plans to distribute card news warning of the risks of medical devices bought directly from overseas and to continue monitoring illegal online distribution.
