Supreme Court Sentences Foreigner to Heavy Penalty for Manufacturing and Distributing Philopon in South Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Foreign nationals who manufactured and sold methamphetamine domestically in connection with an international drug organization have been sentenced to heavy prison terms.

On the 25th, the Supreme Court's 2nd Division (Presiding Justice Park Sang-ok) upheld the original sentences of 6 months to 13 years in prison in the final appeal trial of four defendants, including Taiwanese national A, who were charged with violating the Narcotics Control Act.

A was accused of supplying the necessary tools and funds for Chinese national B to manufacture methamphetamine at a hotel in April 2019 and distributing methamphetamine. A was also charged with bringing another drug, ecstasy, into the country together with C.

B was investigated to have manufactured methamphetamine with A's help and also self-administered the drug. D received methamphetamine from A and was prosecuted after self-administering it at his own home.

The first trial mostly acknowledged the charges and sentenced B, who manufactured methamphetamine, to the heaviest sentence of 12 years in prison. A was sentenced to 8 years in prison. The court judged that although A supplied the necessary tools and assisted B's crime, A did not play a key role in the methamphetamine manufacturing. C and D were sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison, respectively.

The second trial also mostly acknowledged the charges, similar to the first trial. However, unlike the first trial which regarded A as an accomplice, the second trial judged A to be a principal offender who played a key role in the crime process.

The court focused on the fact that A personally transported 25 million won in funds and directly provided B with tools that were difficult to obtain domestically. It was investigated that A assisted the crime under the instructions of an international drug organization member.

Accordingly, the court increased A's sentence to 13 years in prison, heavier than B's. On the other hand, B was reduced to 10 years in prison considering his remorse and the fact that the manufactured methamphetamine was seized before distribution in the country.

Except for D, the other three appealed, but the Supreme Court dismissed all appeals, stating there was no error in the original court's judgment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.