Overview

• Prescriptions for people aged 19 and under exceeded 1.62 million in 2024, with spending rising to 159.2 billion won, according to HIRA data submitted to Rep. Nam In-soon.
• Annual prescriptions nearly doubled from 895,000 in 2020 to more than 1.62 million in 2024, with costs climbing from 59.6 billion won over the same period.
• Use was concentrated among 10–14-year-olds, with boys’ prescriptions up about 145 percent to more than 646,000 and girls’ up roughly 120 percent to 468,000, along with sharp increases in spending.
• Reported adverse reactions rose to 1,809 in 2024, including 165 classified as serious such as pneumonia, appendicitis and high fever, compared with nine serious cases in 2020.
• Authorities also flagged a surge in detected illegal online sales and ads for growth hormone products, from two cases in 2021 to 111 as of August, prompting calls for stronger monitoring by the Health and Drug Safety ministries; the figures exclude non-NHIS-covered prescriptions, so total use may be higher.