Smuggled meds are becoming a big problem in Seoul. They’re showing up on dozens of Internet sites at ridiculously low prices. Where are all the pills coming from? Authorities believe the pills come from the US, where the sites are based.

“Most of the drugs sold on these Internet sites are priced at about 50 to 70 percent of what they are sold in pharmacies, which explains a larger part about their growing demand,” says Bahk Jae-wan, a member of the National Assembly’s health and welfare committee.

“The Internet sites smuggle the pills directly from the US, instead of buying imported products from Korea, to push down the prices. So there is a danger that some of these drugs are over their expiration date, or even worse, could be counterfeit products with harmful health effects.”

Who says ‘The Sopranos’ isn’t realistic? The season opener showed Tony making a deal for a large amount of Merck’s Fosamax and wondering aloud if the pills are counterfeit. But the sleazeball across the table says the goods are simply expired product.

You’ll know the Korean smugglers are watching when they swap a rubout for some pills.

More in The Korea Times.[tags]Counterfeit, South Korea, Tony Soprano[/tags]