Broadcaster Hong Seok-cheon warned about the dangers of drugs and urged people not to attend overseas parties.
On the 4th, Hong Seok-cheon posted a photo of an unconscious man on Instagram with the phrase 'No drug.' In the photo, the man, unable to support himself, was being dragged by two other men. Hong Seok-cheon pointed out, "Is this why we go to parties?" adding, "They are dragged out while high on drugs. Some may even die from this." He further expressed concern, saying, "Please don’t go to overseas parties at the end of the year" and remarked, "I worry about the young friends."
This is not the first time Hong Seok-cheon has warned about the dangers of drugs. On the 26th of last month, he wrote on Instagram, "As an older mentor, I want to say to all the younger friends going overseas from this weekend until the end of the year" and continued, "It’s great to have fun and make memories during youth, but please be safe and don’t do anything weird while enjoying yourselves." He added, "If someone suggests going to a club or a home party, firmly refuse. There’s a 95% chance that the party you think is safe is not. There's no need to go through such experiences. Don’t forget and remember to be careful," emphasizing, "No drug, yes condom."
Additionally, in a video for the drug eradication campaign released by the Korea Drug Abuse Prevention Center under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last November, Hong Seok-cheon stated, "Drugs harm our bodies and minds. They harm even my friends and my family" and emphasized, "The most important thing is not to start. Absolutely do not start using drugs."
According to the 2023 drug crime white paper published by the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office's drug and organized crime department in June of last year, the number of drug offenders arrested in 2023 reached 27,611, surpassing 20,000 for the first time, marking a record high. This is a 50% increase compared to the previous year's figure of 18,395. It is analyzed that there has been a significant rise in drug offenders in their teens and twenties. The number of teen drug offenders was 1,477 in 2023, more than tripling compared to the previous year (481). The number of drug offenders in their twenties was 8,368 in 2023, an increase of 44.2% from the previous year (5,804). The proportion of drug offenders in their teens and twenties among all drug offenders is 35.6%, maintaining the mid-30% range since 2021.