1. Reason for Amendment 

Following the amendment to the Narcotics Control Act (Act No. 21102, promulgated on Nov 12, 2025, enforcing on Nov 12, 2026) to allow narcotics handlers who have lost their qualifications (e.g., due to business closure) to dispose of their remaining narcotics in addition to transferring them to other narcotics handlers, this draft aims to specify the matters delegated by the Act. Furthermore, it establishes a legal basis for deeming self-treatment narcotics or psychotropic substances prescribed and used domestically as approved for handling when carried across borders during entry and exit, and raises the administrative sanction standards for cases where theft or leakage of narcotics occurs due to a failure to thoroughly manage and supervise employees.

2. Main Contents 

A. Deeming self-treatment narcotics or psychotropic substances prescribed and held domestically as approved when carried into the country for the purpose of self-treatment (Draft Article 5) 

B. Requiring narcotics handlers to submit the status and disposal plan of held narcotics to the relevant licensing authority upon reporting business closure (Draft Article 16) 

C. Establishing procedures and methods for requesting the disposal of narcotics following the loss of qualification of a narcotics handler, and requiring the results to be reported to the Minister of Food and Drug Safety within 20 days (Draft Article 24) 

D. Raising the administrative sanction standards for cases where theft or leakage of narcotics occurs because a narcotics handler fails to thoroughly guide and supervise employees (Draft [Annex 2])