‘Easy money’ drug delivery jobs lure young Koreans into prison
An officer at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s narcotics unit sorts confiscated illegal drugs in Mapo District, Seoul, Aug. 13. Yonhap
High-paying part-time offers mask severe legal consequences
For a quick payout, some young Koreans are falling into the trap of drug trafficking jobs advertised as “high-paying part-time work,” only to end up behind bars.
Park, a 21-year-old, was sentenced to 10 years in prison this February after being caught working as a so-called carrier who smuggled drugs into Korea by concealing them in clothes and on the body, and later as a draper who left drugs hidden in residential areas for contactless delivery.
In addition to the 7.48 million won ($5,400) he had earned, the court ordered him and an accomplice to forfeit more than 100 million won, the assessed value of the drugs he distributed.
Kim, a 29-year-old, was sentenced in October to seven years in prison after receiving methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana through international mail and later acting as a draper.
Though a first-time offender, he was also ordered to forfeit 326 million won. His actual earnings amounted to about 31.5 million won, but the added value of the drugs sharply increased the amount.
According to police data released Thursday, people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 59.8 percent of drug offender cases in the first half of this year.
While the statistics include all types of offenders, from users to suppliers to cultivators, legal experts note that those in their 20s and 30s are disproportionately recruited as low-level distributors.
A joint inspection team cracks down on drugs hidden for pickup near a university district in Seoul, Aug. 26.
“Economically vulnerable young people often encounter these offers while searching for part-time jobs,” said Park Jin-sil, a lawyer specializing in narcotics cases. “Many agree to work without fully realizing the seriousness of the crime.”
Courts impose heavy sentences on drug distributors, regardless of their role. “Drug crimes destroy both body and mind, harm public health and can trigger further crimes,” the judiciary has explained in rulings.
Unlike first-time users, who often receive suspended sentences, distributors almost always face prison terms.
Those caught are frequently shocked by the severity. “Many defendants later say they would not have done it had they known how harsh the punishment would be,” Park said.
If the value of drugs handled exceeds 50 million won, offenders face charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which carries heavier penalties.
Claims that they did not know what they were carrying rarely succeed in court. Judges generally find that outsized payments and instructions to avoid leaving traces suggest at least indirect awareness of trafficking.
A narcotics investigator warned that young recruits are easily replaced by ringleaders and often arrested before receiving full payment.
“Even if they manage to get paid, the money will be seized and they will carry a criminal record along with prison time,” the investigator said. “Right now, the going rate for a draper is about 20,000 won per job. It is not worth throwing away your life for that.”
A detection dog searches for illegal drugs at the Incheon Customs maritime express cargo center in Yeonsu District, Incheon, Aug. 14. Yonhap
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.