National 'Drug Chief Prosecutors' Meeting... Prosecutor General: "Please Clean Up Drugs Thoroughly"

Lee Won-seok "Hoping for Nationwide Drug Eradication... No Reason We Can't Fight and Overcome"
Sharing Recent Drug Crime 'Trends and Information' at Chief Prosecutors' Meeting

Chief prosecutors in charge of drug cases from across the country gathered to share recent trends in drug crimes and investigative know-how, resolving to strictly crack down on drug-related offenses.

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok is speaking at the nationwide narcotics chief prosecutors' meeting held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 8th, chief prosecutors specializing in drug cases from 18 prosecution offices nationwide held a "Drug Crime Eradication Measures Meeting" at the Grand Conference Room of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok urged, "I ask all members of the prosecution, centered on the Special Investigation Headquarters for Drug Crimes, to unite and thoroughly sweep drugs off this land."

He added, "Please consider the meaning of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's words, 'If one man guards a pass, he can frighten a thousand' (Ilbu Dang-gyeong Jok-gu Cheon-bu·一夫當逕 足懼千夫). We already have a history of victory in the war against drugs, and the entire nation earnestly wishes for the eradication of drugs, so there is no reason we cannot fight and overcome drugs once again."

During the meeting, recent trends and information on drug crimes, as well as investigative cases, were shared, and discussions were held on efficient investigations and inter-agency cooperation methods.

The chief prosecutors in charge of drug cases agreed through the meeting to ▲thoroughly investigate youth drug supply offenders ▲disseminate the latest drug crime investigation techniques ▲actively provide opportunities for treatment and rehabilitation for drug addicts.

The prosecution has revived the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Violent Crime Division, which was integrated into the Anti-Corruption Division during the Moon Jae-in administration, under the name "Drug and Organized Crime Division," demonstrating a strong will to strictly punish drug crimes.

During the Moon Jae-in administration, following the adjustment of investigative authority, the Violent Crime Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office was merged with the Anti-Corruption Division to form the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Division, and the Drug Division and Organized Crime Division were merged into the Drug and Organized Crime Division.

Earlier, the "Special Investigation Headquarters for Drug Crimes (Special Headquarters)," which serves as the control tower for nationwide drug investigations, was launched. The Special Headquarters, led by the prosecution, police, and Customs Service, deployed a total of 840 personnel dedicated to drug investigations.

The prosecution deployed a total of 377 personnel, including drug investigation staff from the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the previously formed Special Investigation Team for Drug Crimes, 92 drug-specialized prosecutors from 60 prosecution offices nationwide, and 270 drug investigators.

The Special Headquarters jointly responds from the investigation initiation stage through trial procedures, with drug-specialized prosecutors exclusively handling various warrants and transfer cases related to drug incidents involving the police, customs, and coast guard, conducting thorough investigations at every stage from smuggling to distribution to consumption.

The Special Headquarters' key investigation targets include ▲drug supply to youth ▲online drug distribution ▲drug smuggling and export/import ▲manufacture and distribution of medical narcotics. In particular, the Special Headquarters plans to crack down on manufacturing and distribution offenders through focused online monitoring using key terms such as "memory and concentration enhancement," "for examinees," and "diet pills."

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