[WHY] Drug-free Korea no more: Why the rise in drug crimes?

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[WHY] Drug-free Korea no more: Why the rise in drug crimes?

An official holds up bags containing drugs during an inter-department meeting on drugs held at the Seoul Regional Customs office in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. The Korea Customs Service announced on the same day that the quantity of drugs confiscated by the governmental organization reached an all-time high this year. [NEWS1]

An official holds up bags containing drugs during an inter-department meeting on drugs held at the Seoul Regional Customs office in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. The Korea Customs Service announced on the same day that the quantity of drugs confiscated by the governmental organization reached an all-time high this year. [NEWS1]

 
Is Korea not a “drug-free” country anymore?
 
Recently, the hottest issue in Korea has been drugs, especially with the investigation of actor Yoo Ah-in for multiple drug use and reports of a scheme where drug-laced drinks were given to students.  
 
There is a saying in Korean that means “drug-clean country.” For a long time, Korea has prided itself on being drug-free; however, with the increasing rate of drug crimes in the past few years, this saying seems to be more and more ill-fitting.  
 
Why has Korea been changing, how are drugs making their way into society now and what needs to be done to stop and prevent further drug crimes?
 
 
Actor Yoo Ah-in leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday after receiving questioning for alleged multiple drug use. [YONHAP]

Actor Yoo Ah-in leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday after receiving questioning for alleged multiple drug use. [YONHAP]

 
Is Korea a “drug-free” country?


According to the United Nations, Korea has not been a drug-free country since 2016. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime stipulates a country is drug-free if the number of drug offenders is below 20 among a population of 100,000 people. Korea surpassed this number in 2016, and last year, the average number of drug offenders among 100,000 was 36, reaching an all-time high.
 
The total number of drug offenders in Korea reached an average of 15,000 each year for the past five years, and in just the first half of last year 18,050 offenders were caught — another all-time high.
 
Different statistics show a definite increase in drug use among teenagers and young people. In 2011 there were only 41 underage drug offenders, but in 2021 there were 450, a tenfold jump, according to the White Paper on Narcotic Crimes published last year by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of Korea. What is more concerning is that this is just the number of teenage offenders who were caught, with estimations of the actual number of offenders exceeding 10,000 yearly.
 
People Power Party leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon speaks during a discussion for preventing the spread of drugs among teenagers at the Korean Association Against Drug Abuse (KAADA) headquarters in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

People Power Party leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon speaks during a discussion for preventing the spread of drugs among teenagers at the Korean Association Against Drug Abuse (KAADA) headquarters in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

 
The escalating number of drug offenders and drug crimes has accelerated exponentially this year. In just January and February this year, there were over 2,600 drug offenders in Korea, according to data from the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office. A 32.4 percent increase just from last year’s 1,964 in the same period, shows just how serious the problem of drugs has become.
 
So it is safe to say – or rather, not so safe to say – that Korea is no longer a drug-free country.
 
 
 
Why have drugs recently become a problem?


It is mostly due to the rise of the internet and online networking, according to experts.
 
“Before the internet, it was much, much harder to find where to buy drugs and get them,” said Yeom Gun-woong, a professor of police science at U1 University. “Now with the onset of online chat rooms such as Telegram where tracking users is nearly impossible for law enforcement, easy access to social media where drugs are actively advertised, and an internet culture among teens interested in drugs, the rising demand for drugs is being met with an accessible supply.”
 
An official from Yongsan Police Precinct speaks during a briefing on drug smugglers' online networking methods through the messenger Telegram at Yongsan Police Precinct in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on May 12. [YONHAP]

An official from Yongsan Police Precinct speaks during a briefing on drug smugglers' online networking methods through the messenger Telegram at Yongsan Police Precinct in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on May 12. [YONHAP]

 
Purchasing drugs through the internet has become widespread. Easy access to the drug market through social media has risen. When the word “drugs” is searched on social media, such as Instagram and Twitter, over a thousand hits resulted.
 
Transformation to a digital world has changed the scope of the criminal process in terms of drug purchasing and usage, according to experts.
 
“The younger generation is especially prone to crimes that happen in digital environments, as they have been exposed to the digital world very early on and so are less astute on discerning between right and wrong,” said Lee Soo-jung, a professor of criminal psychology at Kyonggi University. “This younger generation of the digital age are very vulnerable to any and all crimes — especially drugs — happening on the Internet.”
 
A banner warning of drug schemes targeting young students is seen hanging in a street in Daechi-dong, a neighborhood filled with private education academies, in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on May 1. [NEWS1]

A banner warning of drug schemes targeting young students is seen hanging in a street in Daechi-dong, a neighborhood filled with private education academies, in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on May 1. [NEWS1]

 
Another reason for the increase in drug crimes in recent years is that the investigative power of the prosecution has been reduced during the previous administration. Based on the revised coordination of prosecution and police investigation rights in the country in January 2021, the prosecution can only investigate drug crimes that pertain to purchases above 5 million won ($3,880), and cases that involve possession for smuggling purposes.
 
This means that for any other drug crime apart from these categories, the prosecution needs to ask for help from the police when investigating cases.
 
“Restricting the prosecution’s investigative power on drugs based on certain categories and types of drug crimes was hugely ineffective and blind towards the realities of how drug crimes happen,” said an attorney, requesting anonymity, who previously worked for the prosecution in investigating drugs. “Drug crime is a holistic and inter-related process in which production, smuggling, circulation and usage are connected organically. If investigations are divided between these processes it would lose effectiveness.”
 
 
 
A Philippines national sent to the prosecution on charges of smuggling drugs into Korea is escorted out of Yongsan Police Precinct on May 12. [NEWS1]

A Philippines national sent to the prosecution on charges of smuggling drugs into Korea is escorted out of Yongsan Police Precinct on May 12. [NEWS1]

 
 
How do smugglers work?


Smugglers are adopting a new method called “throwing” to deliver drugs to users, a method that has proven very effective.
 
“The throwing method is when smugglers deliver drugs to people offline — they do not meet in person, but instead throw the packages to certain locations, which are then picked up by the buyers,” said Professor Yeom. “This seals the no-contact method of communication through online channels and the supplier and buyer never have to meet face-to-face.”
 
Korea’s relatively loose CIQ (Immigration Control, Customs Inspection, Quarantine) system also plays a part in smugglers' ability to get drugs into the country. Drugs in Korea are sold at a higher price than in countries such as Southeast Asia, which incentivizes foreign suppliers to smuggle them into the country.
 
“It would be unwise for the press to describe in detail how smugglers work, without detailing the methods where everything is done in a no-contact manner,” said the attorney with drug crime investigation experience. “The throwing method, communication through online channels, smuggling from overseas — every step of the process involves a close-knit network but without any exposure or physical proximity.”
 
 
 
Officers and executives of the Korea Customs Service pledge allegiance to the flag before an inter-department meeting on drugs at the Seoul Regional Customs office in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Officers and executives of the Korea Customs Service pledge allegiance to the flag before an inter-department meeting on drugs at the Seoul Regional Customs office in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [YONHAP]

 
 
What needs to be done to prevent more drug crimes?


Three things are essential — the establishment of an interdisciplinary and cross-department institution dedicated to the investigation of drug crimes, putting responsibility on internet portals and integrating punishment of offenders with rehabilitation and treatment, according to experts.
 
“A special organization dedicated to rooting out drug crimes such as those in the United States is absolutely necessary,” said Yeom. “The Drug Enforcement Administration in the U.S. has concurrent jurisdiction with organizations such as the FBI and the Customs and Border Protection. These types of organizations overseeing drug crimes are also needed in Korea to help stop and prevent the rise of drug crimes here.”
 
A dedicated investigative body for drug crimes could also expand the much-needed role of undercover investigations, according to Yeom and Lee. The National Assembly Research Service of Korea has also called for such an establishment and the necessity of more undercover investigations in a report this May.
 
The second measure needed to help reduce drug crimes is for responsibility to be put on internet portals that play a key role in enabling communication between buyers, sellers and advertisers of drugs.
 
[SHUTTERSTOCK]

[SHUTTERSTOCK]

 
“It is high time for us to ask for internet portals and social media platforms to be held accountable for their part in these crimes,” said Professor Lee. “The portals and platforms take all the monetary gain from traffic, advertisements and exposure of drug-related content and do not pay their due for the social repercussions and harm they pose. We need to debate and decide whether that is justifiable.”
 
Last, but not least, simply indicting and punishing drug offenders will not be the solution. Rehabilitation and treatment need to be integrated into the system for drug crimes to be eradicated.
 
“Drug usage is not a simple matter of a one-off process,” said Yeom. “Addiction is an extremely serious medical condition. We need to understand and come to terms with the fact that drug offenders are very often already addicted patients who need to receive the right rehabilitation and treatment for them to be prevented from committing offenses again. Countries such as the U.S. have a drug court, where the judicial system follows up on drug offenders and mandates treatment for addicts. We also need to provide such options in order to prevent drug crimes.”
 
 
Prosecutor General Lee One-seok exchanges greetings with attendees at a meeting for developing measures to rid of drugs at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office headquarters in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 8. [NEWS1]

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok exchanges greetings with attendees at a meeting for developing measures to rid of drugs at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office headquarters in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 8. [NEWS1]

 
 
 
What has the government done?


President Yoon Suk Yeol and Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon have both declared an all-out war on drugs this year, and administrative efforts are being put into place to handle the problem.  
 
The narcotics units in metropolitan and provincial police agencies and investigation teams at police stations, which were established in 2000, are being given additions in personnel. The police currently operates 17 narcotics units and 258 investigation teams for drug crimes. On-site investigation and undercover investigation are also expected to be expanded.
 
A special program to track and crack down on illegal online communication concerning drugs has also been developed. This program is called the Dark Web Illegal Information Tracking System, or DINT. It “correlates and analyzes IDs, URLs, and other information identified in illegal information from disclosed and undisclosed websites on the dark web, helping investigators track criminals,” according to the Narcotic and Organized Crime Investigation Division of the Korean National Police Agency.
 
 
[SHUTTERSTOCK]

[SHUTTERSTOCK]

 
 
Is it too late?


It could be, but that does not mean the fight to eradicate drug crimes should be given up, say experts.
 
“I would say that there was a period between 2016 to 2023 when there was an exponential surge in drug crimes and that is when we should have taken drastic measures to handle the issue,” said Yeom. “Drug usage in Korea has spread and settled like a recreational culture already. Whether that can be crushed out is questionable.”
 
"The fact that usage, possession, selling and purchasing and any handling of drugs is prohibited by law and that drugs are illegal needs to be re-emphasized and set clearly, especially in the minds of the younger generation," said Yeom.
 
“Awareness of drugs being illegal and morally wrong has faded recently with the skyrocketing jump in actual usage,” said Yeom. “We need to remind ourselves of the dangers of drug usage and abuse and gather all of our resources to eradicate it.”
 
A glimmer of hope for Korea to once again be a "drug-clean country" may be there.
 
 

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]
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