No. of drug offenders hit all-time high last year

The number of drug offenders arrested in Korea last year was the highest ever, exceeding 20,000 for the first time. In particular, more than one out of every three drug offenders caught were in their teens and 20s, and the number of female offenders also increased sharply.

According to the '2023 White Paper on Drug Crimes' released by the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office Wednesday, the number of drug offenders was 27,611, up 50.1 percent from 2022 (18,395). The number of drug offenders surged from 16,044 in 2019 to 18,050 in 2020, then decreased to 16,153 in 2021, but has been on the rise again since 2022.

Notably, the number of teenage drug offenders has increased dramatically. The number of teenage drug offenders last year nearly tripled to 1,477 from the previous year (481). There were also 8,368 drug offenders in their 20s, a 44.2 percent jump from 2022 (5,804). Teens and 20-somethings accounted for 35.6 percent of all drug offenders. This means that one in three drug offenders are in their teens and 20s.

There were also 8,910 female drug offenders, a 79.4 percent hike from 4,966 in 2022. The proportion of women among all drug offenders has been increasing every year, with a gain of 23.6 percent in 2021, 27 percent in 2022, and 32.3 percent last year. The number of supply offenders, those who make and sell drugs, also surged 87 percent year-on-year to 9,145.

Last year, 998 kilograms of drugs were seized in Korea, up 24 percent from the previous year (804.5 kilograms). Notably, psychotropic drugs such as methamphetamine also known as ‘meth,’ Yaba, ketamine, and JWH-018 (synthetic cannabis) accounted for 82.5 percent of the total. Drug smuggling also increased in volume. Last year, 637.87 kilograms of drugs were smuggled, up 62.1 percent from 2022 (393.47 kilograms).

"Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of smuggling has increased significantly from the pre-pandemic level due to increased international exchange," the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office said. The number of foreign smugglers also increased from 196 in 2019 to 590 last year, nearly tripling in five years.


장은지 jej@donga.com