It was revealed that the amount of drugs detected during last year's Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays was more than 10 times higher than the previous year.
According to data submitted by the Korea Customs Service to the office of Rep. Maeng Seong-kyu, chairperson of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee, the amount of drugs detected during last year's Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays was more than 10 times higher than in 2023.
Looking at the data by year, the amounts of drugs detected during the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays were ▲ 798g (3 cases) in 2022 ▲ 788g (5 cases) in 2023 ▲ 8920g (7 cases) in 2024.
The amount of drugs detected during last year's holiday period surged by approximately 1031% compared to the previous year. This increase is significantly larger than the 2.3% rise in total drug detection for the year.
Among the drugs detected during last year's Lunar New Year holiday, methamphetamine amounted to 3729g, valued at approximately 372.9 million won. This quantity is sufficient for about 124,300 individuals to use once. During last year's Chuseok holiday, the methamphetamine detected was 2734g, valued at 273.4 million won, enough for about 91,000 individuals for a single dose.
The quantities of drugs seized are as follows: ▲ 624,451g (771 cases) in 2022 ▲ 769,363g (704 cases) in 2023 ▲ 787,199g (862 cases) in 2024, showing an increasing trend.
Chairperson Maeng Seong-kyu noted, "Recently, the amount of drugs detected has been continuously increasing, and special attention is needed during holidays when many travelers and goods are on the move." He emphasized, "This year's Lunar New Year holiday is expected to be the longest, lasting more than 7 days including temporary holidays, and with the anticipated highest number of travelers and goods, thorough responses from relevant agencies such as airports and customs are necessary for social safety."