Korea grapples with increased drug use

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Korea no longer appears to be a drug-free country as the number of narcotics-related offenses continues to rise.

Around 12,700 drug offenders were arrested during the first eight months of this year, already surpassing last year's 12,387 arrests, which was the highest in the past 10 years, according to the National Police Agency (NPA).

The number remained in the 5,000 range until 2013, but increased steadily after surpassing 8,000 in 2016 and reached between 10,000 and 12,000 from 2019 to last year.

The increase has been particularly notable among younger age groups, including teenagers. Specifically, the number of teenage drug offenders arrested until August this year was 659, more than doubling from the 294 seen last year.

Experts cite easier access to drugs through the internet and social media as the primary reason for the surge, particularly among younger people.

The dark web and Telegram, which are difficult for police to monitor, are the main platforms used for drug trading. According to a report from the NPA on Sept. 28, the number of people apprehended for trading drugs through the dark web surged from 85 in 2018 to 1,097 in 2022.

The culture of drug use is changing too. Unlike past offenders who used drugs individually, younger users tend to use in groups, particularly in clubs or at parties. This leads to more active drug trading through group purchases.

A police officer died on Aug. 27 after falling from the rooftop of an apartment in Yongsan District, Seoul, after partying with a group who were taking drugs. Patrons at a club in Itaewon were also caught using drugs. These instances illustrate the emerging pattern of drug-use culture among young groups.

Park Won-sik, a director of the Criminal Litigation Division at Seoul Yongsan Police Station, gives a briefing about the arrest of a group that smuggled drugs into Korea from the Philippines, at Yongsan Police Station, May. 12. Yonhap

The number of foreign drug offenders in Korea is on the rise. The number tripled over five years from 597 in 2018 to 1,757 in 2022. This year, 1,487 were already caught as of August, and the figure is expected to surpass last year's, according to the NPA.

One of the reasons for this increase is that people in countries where certain drugs are legal smuggle the drugs to Korea, either for personal use or to make money, according to Cho Sung-nam, chief director of the National Forensic Hospital.

One example is Thailand where marijuana was recently legalized. Of the 6,585 foreigners caught for drug offenses in the past five years, 2,925 were Thais, accounting for more than 40 percent.

Some defectors from North Korea also smuggle in drugs, as in North Korea, meth is commonly found and used as a "medication."

Amid the rapid increase of drug offenders, the government has declared a special initiative to supervise drug use and trade.

On Sept. 12, the government announced a significant expansion in the budget for drug response to 60.2 billion won ($44.6 million) for next year, 2.5 times than this year's allowance. The increased budget will be used to expand manpower to arrest drug offenders and introduce high-tech equipment to crack down on drugs.

"Drug offenders who supply drugs should face stricter punishments than they do now, and dealers should not only be penalized but also compelled to undergo treatment to prevent addiction," Cho said.