Namyang Dairy heiress arrested on meth charge

Police on Thursday detained a 31-year-old woman related to the founding family of a major Korean dairy producer on suspected drug use and sale.

Hwang Ha-na was taken into custody this afternoon from a hospital where she was staying for treatment in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, local police said. Hwang is a granddaughter of Hong Du-yeong, the late honorary chairman and founder of Namyang Dairy Products.

Police are investigating her over suspicions that she avoided being charged for drug use in a 2017 police probe because her family pulled strings to exclude her from the investigation.

She was accused of selling 0.5 gram of methamphetamine and also using the illegal substance herself in September 2015. The Jongno Police Precinct referred her case to the prosecution, recommending a non-indictment, citing a lack of evidence. Prosecutors later dropped all charges against Hwang.

Yonhap