The "90% Reality" Dominating Teens: Experts Shocked by Record-High Figures, Calling It "Just the Tip of the Iceberg" [Chuiyakgukga]⑨

■ Chapter 2. Drug Crimes Target Teenagers


Average Over Five-Year Period Shows Tenfold Increase in Teenage Offenders

Drug Use and Distribution Now Occur Inside Classrooms

Teenage Drug Use Is Especially Dangerous Due to Focus on ‘Ne

Over the past decade, the number of teenage drug offenders has surged nearly tenfold. Whereas drug-related crimes were once considered the deviation of certain groups such as the privileged or those working in nightlife industries, now not only ordinary people but even classrooms are no longer safe. There have been a considerable number of cases where synthetic cannabis liquid was smoked in classrooms, and high school students have been directly involved in drug trafficking.

According to the prosecution on May 19, the number of teenage (aged 19 or younger) drug offenders apprehended last year totaled 674. This represents more than a fivefold increase compared to the 128 cases in 2015. Compared to 30 cases in 2005, the figure has soared by more than 22 times. In 2023, the year the Ministry of Justice declared a war on drugs, as many as 1,477 teenagers were arrested.

However, it is difficult to conclude that the number of teenage offenders simply increased based on the 2023 figure alone. To understand the overall trend, if we compare the average number of teenage offenders caught between 2011 and 2015 with the average number from 2021 to 2025, the earlier period saw an average of 74 teenagers arrested per year for drug offenses. In the most recent five years, this average jumped to 747 per year. In 2015, teenagers accounted for only 1.1% of all drug offenders, but last year, this figure nearly tripled to 2.9%.

Experts point out that even these shocking statistics do not adequately capture the actual state of teenage drug addiction. Lee Sangkyu, a professor at Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, stated, "Prosecution data only counts the number of detected cases," adding, "The real issue is that we have no data on what drugs are used, how they are used, or how much is used in our country."

Teenage drug addiction is particularly dangerous because it is concentrated around "new types of drugs." Of the 674 teenagers arrested last year, only 49 (7.3%) were charged with cannabis-related offenses and 14 (2.1%) with traditional drug offenses. More than 90%, or 611 individuals, were charged with offenses involving psychotropic drugs. Psychotropic substances such as methamphetamine, ketamine, synthetic cannabis, and ecstasy are distributed among young people using everyday slang such as "Eol○," "Can○," and "Heo○." Ingredients found in so-called "diet pills" or "study aids" that lead teenagers down the path of drug addiction are also classified as psychotropic drugs rather than traditional narcotics.

The grim reality of drug use is revealed in actual case studies. In May 2021, 42 individuals, including a 19-year-old identified as A, were arrested by police for obtaining fentanyl patches from hospitals and pharmacies in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, selling them to other teenagers, or using them personally. Fentanyl, a drug that has swept across the United States, began to spread domestically, particularly among teenagers. These individuals used drugs not only in parks and shopping mall restrooms but also within school premises.

In 2023, in Incheon, a fearless teenager was apprehended for trafficking drugs from a "study room" provided by his parents. The teenager, identified as B, and others distributed and used methamphetamine and other drugs worth approximately 270 million won. They found customers via Telegram and used the "drop-off" method for distribution. Their criminal proceeds totaled 122 million won. The main perpetrator, B, and his accomplices received sentences ranging from 5 to 7 years, while another teenager, C (19), who took proceeds from them, was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

The core of teenage drug distribution lies in non-face-to-face platforms such as Telegram. South Korea boasts excellent IT infrastructure and young people have easy internet access from an early age. These advantages are turning into pitfalls when it comes to drug-related crimes. Jung Heeseon, Distinguished Professor of Forensic Science at Sungkyunkwan University, commented, "In the past, it was difficult for just anyone to obtain drugs, but now you can buy them anonymously online. This is causing a significant increase in addiction among young people, especially younger teenagers, which is very concerning."

Yoon Heunghee, a professor at Namseoul University’s Department of Global Addiction Rehabilitation Counseling, pointed out similar issues. Professor Yoon explained, "Today's teenagers, born in the 2000s, have grown up in an internet environment, so they have high accessibility not only to Telegram and X (formerly Twitter) but also to the dark web. Through such platforms, they naturally learn how to purchase and sell drugs." She added, "Above all, there are a variety of slang terms for drugs on social networking services (SNS), and these slang terms themselves pose a problem by sparking teenagers' curiosity."

Special Reporting Team | Jang Heejun, Oh Jieun, Park Hosu, Lee Jiye, and Park Jaehyun

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