On a typical day in Daechi-dong, a neighborhood known as the education hot spot in Korea, a drink titled “Mega ADHD” was generously handed out in the streets teeming with Korean students and hagwons.

The sellers claimed that his magic drink would immediately strengthen concentration and memory – surely an irresistible offer for studious Korean high schoolers. 

Little did they know the “energy” drink was laced with dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and ecstasy. The drug dealers were deliberately targeting young teenagers. 

Declaration of War against drug crimes

On April 18th, 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol showed a firm commitment to eradicating drug-related offenses, especially after the recent scheme where students were duped into drinking drug-spiked beverages. South Korea is strengthening its efforts to fight the rapid increase in drug-related crimes by creating an investigation team of 840 personnel from various governmental departments.

“This is a deeply shocking incident,” said Hyobin Lee, a professor of politics and ethics at Chungnam National University, in a recent interview with DW. “Although I recognize that Korea is no longer a drug-free country, it is truly surprising that drug crime is now even affecting minors.”

According to the Korea Herald, there was a 13.4 percent increase in the overall count of drug lawbreakers between the first six months of 2021 and 2022. 

How are these illegal drugs obtained?

In general, drugs legally prescribed in hospitals for ill people are misused, which, in turn, stimulates an unhealthy addiction to illegal drugs. Another root of this issue is the simple circulation of drug dealing via social media. 

According to an analysis conducted by the Korean Association Against Drug Abuse from April to August, out of a total of 1,419 instances of drug sales conducted online, the highest percentage (72.8%) took place through Telegram. The messaging app KakaoTalk followed with 210 cases, while Line had 80 cases, and individual websites accounted for 42 cases.

Korea’s next steps

To avert this issue, the government’s primary focus will be investigating significant drug smuggling activities, illegal circulation of medical drugs, and online drug dealing. 

The Korean government states that its ultimate aim is to safeguard the public from the dangers of drugs and create a healthy society with the government’s focused resources.