How to Buy Modafinil in South Korea | What You Must Know

Tomas Thorne

Last Updated: February 2, 2023

SouthKorea (1)

Curious about how to buy Modafinil in South Korea these days? If so, you’re in the perfect place.

Below we’ll break down everything you need to know about getting your hands on this nootropic while in the country.

If you’re looking to buy Modafinil ASAP, here’s the gist of it…

WHERE TO BUY MODAFINIL ONLINE

Drug Name: Modafinil (Provigil, Modalert, Modvigil, etc.)
Tablet Strength: 200mg
Best Price: $0.79
Payment: American Express, MasterCard, Cryptocurrency
Shipping: FREE | Arriving: EU 1-5 business days, Worldwide 1-3 weeks
Where to Order: Click Here to Visit Pharmacy!

But if you’ve been searching for more detailed information about Modafinil’s legal status, how to get a prescription, and the best places to buy some, then keep reading…

Our only goal for this guide is to help you get your hands on high-quality Modafinil without any hassles. We can point you towards the best online pharmacies that sell legit nootropics and help you avoid the ones that will fail to deliver on their promises.

Disclaimer: The contents of Modafinil.com are for informational and educational purposes only. We do not provide legal advice. Likewise, we do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your physician prior to consuming Modafinil or related nootropics. Your access to Modafinil.com is subject to our full Disclaimer and Terms of Use.


What is Modafinil?

Before we delve into exactly how to buy Modafinil in South Korea, we thought it might be helpful to briefly discuss what this drug is and why so many people swear by it for cognitive enhancement.

Modafinil has gained a worldwide reputation for being the premier cognitive enhancer on the market. Whether you need to work or study longer, be more productive, or work more effectively, Modafinil will help get you where you need to go.

But Modafinil wasn’t created as a ‘smart’ drug…

Modafinil is actually a type of medicine known as a ‘eugeroic’, which means that it promotes ‘wakefulness’. It does this by increasing the amount of histamine and dopamine in the brain [1]. The extra histamine creates a sense of extreme alertness and vigilance [2], while the dopamine causes a dramatic improvement in motivation, mood, and short-term recall [3].

Modafinil was discovered in France during the 1970s and then later developed by the French neuroscientist and researcher Michel Jouvet as an experimental treatment for helping narcolepsy sufferers [4].

Following successful medical trials, Modafinil was introduced to the French market under the brand name ‘Modiodal’ in 1994. It quickly gained a reputation for being an extremely effective narcolepsy treatment and was subsequently used to treat other sleep-related conditions like obstructive sleep apnea [5].

During the 1990s, Modafinil was launched throughout Europe under various names including ‘Provigil’, ‘Modasomil’, and ‘Vigil’, and, in 1998, it received U.S. FDA approval. ‘Provigil’ was launched in South Korea in 2002 as a prescription-only drug.

At around this time, people began experimenting with Modafinil and soon discovered that it offers several ‘off label’ benefits. Silicon Valley CEOs and Wall Street traders starting using Provigil to work 70+ hour weeks [6]. Before long, busy professionals all over the world, including in South Korea, started using the drug to gain an advantage over their competition.

Unlike some other ‘smart’ drugs, Modafinil’s benefits are backed up by a wealth of evidence in peer-reviewed medical journals.

These benefits include:

  • Improved memory retention [7].
  • Enhanced cognitive function [8].
  • 12+ hours of ‘tunnel-vision’ focus (great for pulling all-nighters!) [9].
  • Inability to feel fatigued.
  • Increased decision-making ability.

Modafinil is widely believed to be the real-life inspiration behind the blockbuster 2011 movie, Limitless, which featured a fictional smart drug called ‘NZT-48’. When characters in the movie took this drug, they gained superhuman cognitive abilities.

That’s similar to how Modafinil makes you feel. When you take Modafinil, you feel as if you can accomplish anything. Any urge to procrastinate vanishes and you can focus and concentrate on anything you put your mind to.

So, if you’re curious about buying Modafinil in South Korea, there’s a very good reason why…

Nothing else comes close.


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Is Modafinil Legal in South Korea?

Now, we’re not lawyers. Nor are we legal scholars. So, this section about the legalities of Modafinil in South Korea should not be construed as anything other than hyperbole. This is NOT legal advice.

The short answer is that Modafinil is registered in South Korea as ‘Provigil’ and is a prescription-only medicine. Therefore, you can only legally buy and possess Provigil here if you have a prescription.

The slightly longer answer is that in South Korea, the top governmental body responsible for overseeing pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution is the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), and all pharmaceuticals are regulated under South Korea’s Pharmaceutical Affairs Act [10].

According to the MFDS, you need a prescription from a South Korean doctor to legally purchase Provigil or any generic medicine containing Modafinil’s active ingredient.

In theory, South Korean doctors can only prescribe Modafinil to patients who have been formally diagnosed with a relevant medical condition such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or Shift Work Sleep Disorder. Basically, anything that causes excessive daytime sleepiness.

However, as members of our team have lived and worked in South Korea before, we can tell you that in practice, you can pretty much go to any doctor and get them to prescribe you what you want, regardless of whether you have a medical condition or not.

In Korea, almost every doctor speaks at least a little English. Most English-speaking doctors charge around US$50 for a consultation, but you can pay less if you use a doctor who doesn’t speak English. You can use Google Translate or ask a Korean friend to help you write down what you need.

Once you have your prescription, you can then go to a nearby hospital dispensary or pharmacy and buy Provigil. Expect to pay around 20,000 KRW (South Korean Won) for ten pills of Provigil, which is around $18 (USD) at current exchange rates.

Outside of major cities, things are a little hit and miss. Not all doctors are willing to prescribe Modafinil, and you’ll still have to pay the $50 consultation fee.

Our Point?

While getting Modafinil from a pharmacy is technically possible, in our experience it simply isn’t worth the hassle. During our time in South Korea, we always bought Modafinil online and had it shipped to our address.

According to the MFDS, this is perfectly legal provided that you buy:

  • Less than 3 month’s supply
  • For your personal use only

We never had a problem getting Modafinil shipped to us during our time in the country. South Korea isn’t on the ‘no-ship’ list of any of our favorite Modafinil suppliers and we’ve yet to hear about anyone having legitimate legal issues buying the drug online.

While South Korea is well-known for its strict anti-drug policies, Modafinil isn’t a narcotic, and buying a small amount online won’t get you thrown in jail.

We’d surmise that the worst that could happen would be for your package to be seized by customs. If this happens, then the online pharmacy you ordered from will give you a free reshipment or a full refund.

But we’ve honestly never heard of this happening!

The online Modafinil sellers that we recommend below actually guarantee their shipments to South Korea. And they wouldn’t be doing that unless they were confident that 99%+ of their deliveries were getting through.

In summary, there’s little to no risk.


Where to Buy Modafinil Online in South Korea | 2022 Guide

Now we’re getting to the good stuff…

Where to buy Modafinil online in South Korea

While buying Modafinil in-person in Seoul is possible, it’s a real hassle and tends to be much more expensive than buying smart drugs online.

This is especially true if you don’t speak conversational Korean or have a local friend to help you. Thus, going online is a solid choice for many new expats and digital nomads in the country — as well as locals looking to get a great deal.

With that in mind, here are our two favorite Modafinil vendors for those living in Korea – both locals and expats:


Buy Moda

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Highlights

  • Guaranteed Delivery

  • World-Class Customer Service

  • Affordable Prices

As of right now, the undisputed champion of Modafinil vendors serving South Koreans is Buy Moda.

These guys are new to the scene but they do a really good job of getting Modafinil into South Korea – and we’ve had nothing but great experiences with them.

Here’s a more comprehensive list of what they have to offer:

  • FAST Shipping: Buy Moda goes the extra mile and ships Modafinil very fast to South Korea. Their average delivery time is 2-4 weeks. When we tested their service our order arrived in Seoul in just 10 working days! As a bonus, shipping is free when you spend over $100.
  • A+ Customer Service: We’ve had to interact with several different Modafinil vendors and their respective customer service teams before so we can say without any doubt whatsoever that Buy Moda has by far the most responsive, most helpful customer service team ever. They go above and beyond and will do whatever they can to help you out.
  • Excellent Variety of Products: Buy Moda carries a great selection of generic Modafinil and Armodafinil products. It has more than enough variants to take care of any needs you may have.
  • Great Prices: You might think that with such high quality, the products would necessarily be expensive. Thankfully, that’s not the case. Their prices are very fair and get even lower when you apply their discounts. For example, they have a 10%-off code: ‘BUYMODA#1’, and they give you a further 20% if you pay with Bitcoin or crypto. That’s a third off the advertised prices.
  • Guaranteed Delivery: You will get your Modafinil delivered when you order from Buy Moda. If not, they’ll offer you a full refund or another shipment. It’s your choice. There’s no risk ordering here.
  • BIG Bonuses: If you order more than $150 worth of nootropics, you’ll get 30 free pills. Then, on your second order, you’ll get 20% extra free. Now that’s a great deal!

All in all, the buying experience with these guys is flat out enjoyable. You’ll pay far less for Modafinil compared with buying from a South Korea pharmacy, and you won’t have to wait long for your order to be delivered. They offer a pretty great deal, all things considered.

Overall, these guys are pretty fantastic when it comes to getting Modafinil into South Korea at great prices!

Highly recommended.

Get 15% off all BuyModa

Use this code at checkout: BUYMODA#1


ModafinilXL

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Highlights

  • Great Discounts

  • Fast Shipping Worldwide

  • Guaranteed Delivery

But if you’re seeking out a “backup option” for buying smart drugs in South Korea, look no further than…

Modafinil XL.

This online Modafinil pharmacy has been around for a very long time and does exactly what you would expect from a good vendor.

Here are a few things they do exceptionally well:

  • GUARANTEED Delivery: Just like Buy Moda, Modafinil XL offers guaranteed delivery. This means that you either get your order or you get your money back, so the risk is entirely removed on your end.
  • FAST Shipping times: Their shipping times are insanely fast and shipping is free on orders over $80. You can expect to get your order 7-15 days after payment. If you spend more than $150, you’ll get free Express shipping. When we tested this service, our order arrived at our apartment in Seoul in just 5 working days!
  • Solid Customer Service Team: Customer service is solid when ordering from Modafinil XL. Their friendly and helpful team will help you with whatever you need.
  • 20% Bitcoin Discount: You’ll get a solid 20% off when buying with Bitcoin or crypto here.
  • FREEBIES: Modafinil XL is very generous with freebies! They include 10 Modafinil tablets and 10 Armodafinil tablets with EVERY order, so you get 20 free smart drug pills every time you shop here!

Hopefully, you can see why Modafinil XL has thousands of positive reviews on sites like Trustpilot – they’re legit!

If we still haven’t convinced you then we have a suggestion…

If you pay just $29 to cover the shipping fee, Modafinil XL will send you 10 free Modafinil pills to try at absolutely no cost. This is ideal if you’re new to nootropics and just want to dip your toes into the water so to speak. You’ll see first-hand how fast their shipping is and how great their Modafinil is!

Overall…

We’ve always been happy with our orders from Modafinil XL and we’re confident in recommending them to buyers in South Korea.

Get 10% off all ModafinilXL

Just use this code at checkout: ENJOY10OFF


‘Brand Name’ Modafinil and Armodafinil in South Korea

If you get a Modafinil prescription in South Korea and buy Modafinil from a pharmacy, you’ll end up with a “brand name” Modafinil product.

We’re talking about products like:

  • Provigil (Modafinil)
  • Nuvigil (Armodafinil)

These are the two brand name prescription nootropics generally sold in pharmacies in South Korea.

If you were curious, Armodafinil is a newer version of Modafinil that has a longer half-life. This means that you need to take less of the drug to get the same benefit, which is why Armodafinil comes in 150 mg pills and Modafinil comes in larger 200 mg pills.

Both these products offer impressive cognitive benefits but are often prohibitively expensive – as the prices are set by the pharmaceutical companies that produce them.

But if you don’t have a prescription and you decide to buy Modafinil online in South Korea, you won’t find ‘Provigil’ or ‘Nuvigil’ for sale. Instead, you’ll be looking at generic Modafinil and Armodafinil products like:

Are there any differences with the potency and safety of generic Modafinil compared to brand name Modafinil?

NO!

We’ve found generic Modafinil products to offer the EXACT same benefits as their brand name counterparts. We’ve even had prescriptions for Provigil before and couldn’t notice a difference when switching to generics.

Each one of the generic products listed above offers incredible brain-boosting benefits. You truly can’t go wrong with any of them. But many people find that they get along better with one compared with the others.

After testing a dozen different types of Modafinil and Armodafinil, our team’s preferred nootropic is Modalert. Unsurprisingly, Modalert is also the most popular generic Modafinil product in the world.

We recommend that you order a sample pack from one of the vendors above and test them for yourself.


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Other Nootropics

While we’re certain that you won’t have any issues getting Modafinil shipped to you during your stay in South Korea, we recognize that some people want to stay 100% above board at all times.

We understand that.

We also understand that taking a dopamine-boosting drug like Modafinil isn’t a risk that everyone feels comfortable with. Long-term use can lead to dependence [11] and you need to watch out for side effects [12]. While we’re sure that sticking with the recommended dose of 200 mg per day, for a maximum of three times per week won’t produce any side effects, you still may want a safer alternative.

That’s why we have one other nootropic available for you. A smart drug that we think is a great alternative to Modafinil. While it’s not as potent as Modafinil, we’ve found the product below does a LOT more than just getting the job done:

  • Mind Lab Pro

If you’re looking to order an over-the-counter Modafinil alternative while living in South Korea, we’d start by looking at Mind Lab Pro.

This potent nootropic blends 11-ingredients into a brain-boosting formula that will have you crushing work and studies for 6-9+ hours straight.

Mind Lab Pro’s ingredients include Lion’s Mane Mushroom, which is a neuroprotectant that helps improve memory [13], and Bacopa Monnieri, which increases blood flow to the brain [14].

The focus that Mind Lab Pro offers is smoother than Modafinil. It’s less intense and not as powerful, but it enhances the brain in a creative and energized manner. Best of all, it’s 100% natural and entirely side-effect free.

As of writing, Mind Lab Pro is the only over-the-counter nootropic we travel with. The stuff is that good. We believe you’ll love it.

Highly recommended!

Order from our recommended supplier Mind Lab Pro


Modafinil in South Korea | The Verdict?

If you’re curious about how to buy Modafinil in South Korea, that’s about all you need to know.

We’ve covered almost everything you’d need to know about buying the world’s most popular smart drug during your stay here. Hopefully, this comprehensive guide has answered all your legal and practical questions about buying Modafinil in South Korea.

Click here to order Modafinil from our top vendor!


References

  1. Brown RE, Stevens DR, Haas HL. The physiology of brain histamine. Prog Neurobiol. 2001;63(6):637-672. doi:10.1016/s0301-0082(00)00039-3
  2. Zolkowska D, Jain R, Rothman RB, Partilla JS, Roth BL, Setola V, Prisinzano TE, Baumann MH. Evidence for the involvement of dopamine transporters in behavioral stimulant effects of modafinil. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009 May;329(2):738-46. doi: 10.1124/jpet.108.146142. Epub 2009 Feb 5. PMID: 19197004; PMCID: PMC2672878.
  3. Minzenberg MJ, Carter CS. Modafinil: a review of neurochemical actions and effects on cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008 Jun;33(7):1477-502. doi: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301534. Epub 2007 Aug 22. PMID: 17712350.
  4. Michel Jouvet. (2020, February 21). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Jouvet
  5. (2019, August 18). Retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/cdi/modafinil.html
  6. How Many Silicon Valley Startup Executives Are Hopped Up On Provigil? (2008, July 15). Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2008/07/15/how-many-of-our-startup-executives-are-hopped-up-on-provigil/
  7. Young JW. Dopamine D1 and D2 receptor family contributions to modafinil-induced wakefulness. J Neurosci. 2009;29(9):2663–2665. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5843-08.2009
  8. Pigeau R, Naitoh P, Buguet A, McCann C, Baranski J, Taylor M, Thompson M, MacK I I. Modafinil, d-amphetamine and placebo during 64 hours of sustained mental work. I. Effects on mood, fatigue, cognitive performance and body temperature. J Sleep Res. 1995 Dec;4(4):212-228. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2869.1995.tb00172.x. PMID: 10607161.
  9. Müller, U., Rowe, J. B., Rittman, T., Lewis, C., Robbins, T. W., & Sahakian, B. J. (2013, January). Effects of modafinil on non-verbal cognition, task enjoyment and creative thinking in healthy volunteers. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3485563/
  10. Korea Medical Device and Pharmaceutical Regulations. (2018, August 12). Retrieved from https://www.pacificbridgemedical.com/regulation/korea-medical-device-pharmaceutical-regulations/
  11. Apo-Modafinil. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://bodyandhealth.canada.com/drug/getdrug/apo-modafinil
  12. Modafinil Side Effects. (2019, November 19). Retrieved from https://www.drugs.com/sfx/modafinil-side-effects.html
  13. Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):367-372. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634
  14. Kongkeaw C, Dilokthornsakul P, Thanarangsarit P, Limpeanchob N, Norman Scholfield C. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151(1):528-535. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.008

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