Women and young people drive Korea's almost 50% increase in drug-related offenses

The yearly number of drug offenders surpassed the 20,000 mark for the first time last year, driven by increases among young people and women, a state report showed Wednesday.

A record high of 27,611 people were apprehended for drug-related offenses last year, marking nearly a 50 percent increase from the corresponding figure of 18,395 in 2022, according to the annual drug crime report compiled by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

The corresponding numbers were 16,153 in 2021, 18,050 in 2020, 16,044 in 2019 and 12,613 in 2018.

The recent hike has been driven by increased drug offenses among people in their teens and 20s, as well as women.

Of those apprehended last year for drug offenses, teenagers accounted for 1,477, nearly tripling from the corresponding figure of 481.

People in their 20s numbered 8,368, marking a 44 percent increase from 5,804 in 2022. Together, the two age groups represented 35 percent of the total.

The number of female offenders, meanwhile, reached 8,910 last year, marking a 79 percent jump from 4,966 in 2022, while the number of foreign offenders increased by 22 percent to reach 3,151.

Amid rising drug crimes, the amount of drugs smuggled into the country increased to 637 kilograms (1,404 pounds) last year, up from 393 kilograms in 2022, following 1,016 kilograms recorded in 2021.

Authorities confiscated 998 kilograms of drugs domestically last year, while 2,726 people were sentenced to prison terms of one year or longer on drug offenses.

Yonhap