Korea's 'Narcotics Evaluation Criteria' Set as Global Standard... Distributed to Over 90 Countries

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and UNODC Establish International Guidelines for Drug Dependency Assessment

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on December 18 that it established, for the first time in the world, international (UN) guidelines containing scientific evaluation criteria necessary for designating and managing new psychoactive substances as narcotics on December 16, and distributed both Korean and English versions simultaneously to more than 90 countries worldwide.

International (UN) Guidelines for Drug Dependency Assessment. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety

These guidelines are the result of joint research between the Ministry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), following the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the UNODC in November 2022 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in September 2023 to establish a foundation for international cooperation. The guidelines are also based on the Ministry's previously published drug dependency assessment guidelines.

After discussions with domestic and international experts, Korea’s evaluation technology and international requirements were comprehensively standardized to establish the first international standards.

The guidelines cover opioid-based substances and include clear evaluation methods for effects and characteristics through animal behavioral tests. They detail the types of laboratory animals and equipment required, the principles and detailed procedures of the tests, methods for analyzing results, and considerations for evaluation.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety plans to develop international guidelines for stimulant drugs next year. Through this, the Ministry aims to gradually establish an international evaluation system for all types of narcotics.

Oh Yu-kyoung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, stated, "The establishment of these international guidelines represents a turning point, moving Korea from simply following international standards to actively leading their creation," adding, "I hope this achievement demonstrates our capability to set international regulatory standards."

Oh Sang-rok, President of KIST, said, "It is meaningful to have contributed to the establishment of international standards by participating in the technical review and development of evaluation criteria," and added, "We will continue to actively support the development of a scientific foundation that can be utilized by the international community in the future."