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Fines and Penalty Provisions

Administrative fines (๊ณผํƒœ๋ฃŒ)โ€‹

Administrative fines (not criminal) for less serious violations of the Medical Devices Act. Common triggers:

  • Failure to report an adverse event within the required timeframe
  • Failure to maintain required records
  • Failure to register in KIMS / UDI-K by the required date
  • Failure to notify MFDS of a change (๋ณ€๊ฒฝ์‹ ๊ณ )

Fine amounts vary by violation type and are specified in the Enforcement Decree.

Criminal penalties (๋ฒŒ์น™)โ€‹

More serious violations may result in criminal prosecution under the Medical Devices Act:

OffenceMaximum penalty
Manufacturing / importing without a licenceImprisonment up to 5 years or fine up to โ‚ฉ50 million
Selling without ํ’ˆ๋ชฉํ—ˆ๊ฐ€ / ํ’ˆ๋ชฉ์‹ ๊ณ Imprisonment up to 3 years or fine up to โ‚ฉ30 million
False or fraudulent applicationImprisonment up to 5 years or fine up to โ‚ฉ50 million
Obstructing a lawful MFDS inspectionFine

Corporate liabilityโ€‹

Both the individual employee responsible for the violation and the company may face penalties โ€” the company can be fined even if only an individual is prosecuted.

Fine amounts for common violations: Failure to report adverse events within 15 days may incur fines up to โ‚ฉ5 million. Failure to maintain required records or register in KIMS/UDI-K may result in fines up to โ‚ฉ3 million. Failure to notify MFDS of product changes may incur fines up to โ‚ฉ2 million. Refer to the Medical Devices Act Enforcement Decree Article 85 for the complete schedule of administrative fines.