Food and drug safety ministry blocks 108 illegal contact lens listings

The food and drug safety ministry said it identified 108 instances of illegal online distribution and unfair advertising involving contact lenses. Officials requested the Korea Communications Standards Commission block access to the violating posts following an inspection conducted from Aug. 10 to Aug. 14.

The probe focused on daily and extended-wear soft lenses. Overseas general shopping malls operating out of Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore accounted for 83 percent of the flagged listings. Daily wear soft lenses made up 76 percent of the seized items, with extended-wear models comprising the rest.

Contact lenses are classified as medical devices requiring mandatory safety and efficacy verification, so direct purchases by consumers from abroad are prohibited in principle. Importers must hold a valid license and obtain product approval or file an import declaration before bringing such goods into the country. The ministry warned that sellers requesting a personal customs clearance number to sell unapproved foreign medical devices online are acting illegally.

Unverified medical devices purchased through direct overseas channels lack safety validation and offer little legal recourse for domestic buyers if side effects occur. Consumers should verify whether products have received formal import approval before making a purchase. Information on officially approved items is available through the Medical Device Safety House website.

The agency pledged to maintain ongoing inspections of illegal medical device distribution and provide safety usage information.