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Chinese national receives 15 year sentence for ketamine smuggling in largest ever Gimpo drug bust

Published: 16 Oct. 2025, 20:04 Updated: 16 Oct. 2025, 21:01

Ketamine inside a suitcase at Gimpo International Airport [GIMPO AIRPORT CUSTOMS]

A Chinese national has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to smuggle and distribute 24 kilograms (53 pounds) of ketamine, commonly referred to as a “club drug,” into Korea from the Netherlands.

The Seoul Southern District Court on Thursday handed down the sentence after convicting the defendant under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for illegal handling of psychotropic substances.

The man was found guilty of concealing the ketamine — double-wrapped in carbon paper and aluminum foil — inside a suitcase, and attempting to bring it into the country via Gimpo International Airport on a flight from the Netherlands.

Ketamine, originally developed as a veterinary anesthetic, is abused in large quantities for its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects. It is widely known in Korea as a club drug. The seized quantity — enough for approximately 800,000 single doses — is the largest amount of narcotics ever intercepted at Gimpo Airport.

Throughout the investigation and trial, the defendant denied the charges, claiming he was unaware that the items he was carrying were drugs.

However, the court dismissed his claims, citing evidence that the defendant had communicated via Telegram with a supplier in the Netherlands to coordinate detailed plans for the delivery, including schedules, travel routes and compensation.

“The volume of ketamine the defendant attempted to bring into the country is of a magnitude that could seriously harm society, especially amid the sharp rise in domestic drug circulation,” the court stated in its ruling. “Smuggling as much as 24 kilograms warrants severe punishment.”

The court added that the defendant’s persistent and implausible denials of wrongdoing worked against him, but noted in mitigation that he had no prior criminal record in Korea.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]