On October 26th, a consultation between the government and the ruling party was held at the National Assembly regarding the "Narcotics Control Measures." As drug crimes have recently become severe, the government and the ruling party have decided to build a pan-government control tower and commit to eradicate drugs. Korea lost the title of “clean drug country” amid the continuous increase in drug crimes. The domestic drug trade goes beyond simply increasing its size and is expanding its influence, centered on the younger generation, by lowering the barriers to access drugs.

Busan is no exception. This year, the Busan Headquarters of the Korean Association Against Drug Abuse (KAADA) conducted an education program for those who received a deferment of prosecution conditional on completion of education for violation of the "Narcotics Control Act." Among the 18 subjects to be educated, 15 subjects were younger than 30. More than half of the subjects were women; most were university students and office workers. This is a noticeable change considering that even ten years ago, most of the subjects were men in their 40s or older, workers in the adult entertainment industry, and members of gangs.

Youth drug crimes have a significant impact across the country. According to the "2021 Narcotics Crimes White Paper" published by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the number of drug offenders under 30 has steadily increased. (3,300 in 2018 (40.7%), 5,085 in 2019 (48.9%), 6,255 in 2020 (51.2%), 6,235 in 2021 (58.9%)) The number of drug offenders under 30 increased more than 1.8 times over the past four years. In particular, the rate of increase in drug crime in the 20s is remarkable. It was found that the number increased by 2.5 times in four years, from 1,392 in 2018 to 3,507 in 2021.

Drugs are no longer shared only in particular spaces such as criminal organizations or adult entertainment establishments. They have become easily accessible to young people, including college students. Experts point to the revitalization of transaction methods through social media as the leading cause of the rapid increase in drug use among the young generation. Yang Yeong-Seok (PR Team Leader, Busan Headquarters of "KAADA") said, "Transaction of drugs through non-face-to-face platforms developed after COVID-19 have increased, and these changes have made drugs easier for young Internet-savvy people to access."

■ Invisible Social Media Drug Market

Most of the youth dealing with drugs were using social media such as Telegram and Twitter as their primary distribution channels. According to the "2021 Narcotics Crimes White Paper," drug criminals have searched for the blind spot in crime by creating anonymous accounts, using virtual currency, and using techniques called "throwing." PR Team Leader Yang said, "The reason why the number of arrests, which has been increasing every year, has stabilized since 2021, is not that the crime does not increase anymore, but that all arrests have not been made due to the crafty methods of criminals."

Easy access to drugs through social media spreads young people's complacency about drugs and solidifies the drug market. An anonymous student A (21), who had experience purchasing a drug called "Happy Balloon," said, "It was a simple way to purchase at a low price, just deposit money through open chat, and It is a relatively light drug, so I bought it out of curiosity and took it."

There have also been constant criticisms of the marketing strategy of adding the word “Drug” ahead of the name of food, such as the Drug-Kimbap, Drug-Tteokbokki, and Drug-Corn. Using criminal terms for foods commonly found around us has weakened our alertness to actual drugs. In response to this problem, the "Ordinance to Improve the Culture of Use of Drug Brand Names" was also proposed at the Seoul City Council on October 18th. 

■ Need to Raise Awareness as a Crime

As the seriousness of the drug problem of the young generation emerged as a significant issue in society, President Yoon Seok-Yeol ordered the establishment of a pan-government countermeasure against drugs at a weekly meeting held on October 24th. The Ministry of Justice and the Prosecution declared a full-scaled "war on drugs," specifying that they would reinforce their investigation squad. Efforts of the government are continuing, such as discussing the "Revision of the Government Organization Act for Establishment of Drug Administration" proposed to the National Assembly in September. However, it is unclear whether it will actually help solve drug crimes.

KAADA, the only institution in Korea that conducts narcotics and drug education, emphasizes prevention education and rehabilitation treatment as a way to eradicate drug activation. This association also mentioned the need for improvement on the problem of the younger generation's perception of drugs as a “kind of favorite food." PR Team Leader Yang said, "Drugs should never be taken lightly as a means for pleasure but should be recognized as dangerous substances that can erode the entire life."

Reporter Yoon Da-Gyo

Translated by Seo Hae-Seong