Government to Implement Drug 'Punishment and Rehabilitation' Measures... Yoon Emphasizes "Rehabilitation of Addicts is Also Important" (Comprehensive)

Attention to 'Addict Rehabilitation' Beyond Drug Offender Punishment... Considering Fundamental Measures to Reduce Recidivism
Emphasis on 'Interdepartmental Cooperation'... "Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Welfare to Develop Response Plans"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Baek Kyunghwan and Lee Gimin] It has been confirmed that President Yoon Seok-yeol instructed the establishment of a comprehensive government-wide plan to combat drugs at a Cabinet meeting. This reflects growing social concerns over recent drug-related crimes. In addition to punishment for drug offenders, President Yoon also directly mentioned 'addict rehabilitation.' The government plans to prepare a comprehensive management plan covering both punishment and rehabilitation for drug offenders.

According to the Presidential Office and government ministries on the 12th, during a closed-door discussion at the Cabinet meeting the previous day, President Yoon received a report on the 'drug situation among youth' from Oh Yu-kyung, Commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and stated, "Judicial punishment for drug offenders is important, but addict rehabilitation is also important." The topic of discussion at the Cabinet meeting was 'youth policy,' and upon hearing Commissioner Oh's report that "drug problems among youth are at a serious level," President Yoon immediately gave instructions.

In fact, drug addiction among youth aged 20 and under is rapidly increasing. Analyzing data received from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency by Lee Man-hee, a member of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, it was found that nationwide arrests of teenage drug offenders increased by 281%, from 81 cases to 309 cases over the past five years, while arrests of those in their 20s rose by 164%, from 1,327 to 3,507 cases. This contrasts with other age groups such as those in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s and above, where drug offender numbers have been declining.

The proportion of youth drug offenders in Seoul is notable. Teen offenders, who accounted for only 1.3% of all drug offenders in 2017, increased to 2.5% last year, while those in their 20s surged from 29% to 42.8% during the same period. As drug transactions have become more covert online, arrests involving the deep web and dark web have also increased. Arrests using these channels rose sharply from just 82 cases in 2019 to 832 cases last year and 631 cases up to July this year.

A bigger problem is the high re-arrest rate of drug recidivists. According to statistics from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the re-arrest rate within three years for drug recidivists exceeded 80% in 2020. Given the high risk of reoffending, President Yoon’s remarks emphasize lowering recidivism through rehabilitation. Some attendees reportedly expressed the opinion that strengthening fundamental punishment should be prioritized. President Yoon urged, "The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and other related ministries should cooperate and prepare response measures."

The related ministries recently agreed to share and review the results of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s internal study on 'Safety Management Measures in Response to Changes in the Environment of Misuse of Narcotics.' Since there were instructions regarding pre- and post-measures for drug offenders, the intention is to analyze all causes comprehensively. This study reportedly includes a comprehensive analysis of the current status of narcotic analgesic prescriptions, reasons for changes in prescriptions, causes of usage increase or decrease by age group, and changes in perception. The Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health and Welfare are also expected to discuss expanding the National Forensic Hospital and increasing medical personnel for drug addiction treatment.

An attendee at the Cabinet meeting said, "The intention was understood not to establish separate measures for punishment and rehabilitation, but for the Ministry of Justice, police, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and Ministry of Health and Welfare to all take part in creating policies linked to distribution and management, punishment and rehabilitation, and addict treatment," adding, "Rapid response through task forces is expected." A Presidential Office official also said, "Since drug problems are becoming a significant social and economic issue and the spread is noticeable, all related ministries have been instructed to prepare management plans," adding, "This is part of the national agenda to eradicate serious social crimes, and detailed measures will be developed accordingly."

Additionally, it has been confirmed that the Presidential Office is preparing a preemptive response plan titled 'Blocking Inflow through International Cooperation.' Attention is being paid to the fact that the Korea Customs Service’s drug smuggling seizures increased nearly 18-fold from 69.1 kg in 2017 to 1,272.5 kg last year. By smuggling route, seizures through export-import cargo were the highest at 1,285.8 kg, followed by international mail (329.9 kg), express cargo (290.1 kg), air travelers (351.8 kg), and sea travelers (6.6 kg). This indicates that drugs entering the country by evading inspections are not being blocked in advance.

'International cooperation' is also an issue President Yoon emphasized during his tenure as Prosecutor General. In 2019, at the International Cooperation Conference on Drug Control (ADLOMICO), President Yoon stated, "International drug organizations distribute drugs worldwide while evading crackdowns, and especially with the development of the internet and social media, drugs are rapidly spreading to various social strata," adding, "We are trying to block drug inflow into Korea in advance by establishing specialized drug investigation teams and dispatching investigators, but it is difficult for a single country alone. To effectively respond to borderless drug crimes, close cooperation between countries and a continuously operating network are essential."

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