Last year, the number of juvenile drug offenders decreased to 649, the lowest in seven years. The prosecution noted, "The number of juvenile drug offenders reached a record high (1,477) in 2023, but decreased in 2024 due to intensified crackdowns by investigative agencies and enhanced drug prevention education."

The Gyeonggi Suwon Western Police Station announces that they arrested 39 individuals, including a Vietnamese national A, for violation of the Act on the Control of Narcotics and the Immigration Control Act in December last year. / Courtesy of Gyeonggi Suwon Western Police Station

On the 17th, the government's special investigation headquarters for drug crimes convened a meeting to analyze its achievements in 2024 and establish key response measures for 2025. The special headquarters was jointly launched in April 2023 by the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, Korean National Police Agency, tariff agency, Coast Guard, Ministry of National Defense, National Intelligence Service, and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

According to the special headquarters, the amount of seized drugs last year was 1,173 kilograms, an increase of 17.6% compared to the previous year. In contrast, the number of drug offenders decreased by 16.6% to 23,022. Among them, the number of juvenile drug offenders showed a 56.1% decrease, with 649 recorded.

A prosecution official said, "The increase in drug crackdowns and detections at customs has led to an overall rise in the quantity of seized drugs," adding, "The decrease in juvenile drug offenders is due to focused crackdowns on online drug crimes, enhanced prevention education, and tailored treatment and rehabilitation initiatives."

However, the number of foreign drug offenders continues to rise steadily. Last year, there were 3,232 foreign drug offenders, an increase of 2.6% compared to the previous year. This has been a continuous upward trend from 1,958 in 2020. Cases of Southeast Asian workers and illegal residents smuggling and selling drugs using international mail have surged.

The special headquarters plans to expand the sharing of information on online non-face-to-face drug transactions through platforms like Telegram and the dark web among investigative agencies this year. It also intends to utilize drug investigation task forces operating in 17 cities and provinces nationwide to jointly crack down on drug-related facilities in areas densely populated by foreigners, clubs, and nightlife districts.



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