South Korea bans travelers from bringing in popular Japanese painkillers

EVE barred from Korea over narcotic ingredient

EVE painkillers sold in Japan /Captured from X (formerly Twitter)

South Korean authorities have banned travelers from bringing EVE, a widely used over-the-counter painkiller produced by Japanese pharmaceutical company SS Pharmaceuticals, into the country.

According to industry sources on Apr. 11, the Korea Customs Service began blocking the entry of EVE into the country earlier this month. The move follows a prior warning issued in March, when the agency said it would intensify enforcement against the illegal importation of foreign medications—including cold remedies, sleeping aids, and diet pills—citing a surge in unauthorized shipments. The crackdown targets pharmaceutical products containing ingredients classified as narcotics under South Korean law.

Among the 481 substances designated as narcotics under domestic regulations is allylisopropylacetylurea, a key ingredient in EVE. Also known as aprophenal, the sedative-hypnotic agent is known for its analgesic effects but can induce drowsiness and cause adverse reactions, including dependency and a reduction in platelet count.

The issue gained public attention after a post titled “Don’t Buy EVE” appeared on a Naver online forum. The author wrote, “I bought EVE at Don Quijote, the biggest discount store in Japan, and got stopped at customs,” adding, “They said it contains psychotropic substances classified as narcotics. I had to write a statement, and the medication was confiscated and destroyed.”

The same post also warned that similar products—such as EVE Quick and EVE A—are also subject to seizure by customs authorities. “A violation record will remain,” the writer noted.

The Korea Customs Service urged travelers to check whether any medications purchased abroad contain banned substances before attempting to bring them into the country. “If harmful ingredients are detected, the items cannot be brought into South Korea. They must be either returned or discarded,” the agency said.