[Drug State] ⑮Prosecution: "Control Tower Urgently Needed... Delay Could Break the Dam"

■ Chapter 4. Drug Investigations at a Turning Point

Seong Dukyung, Chief Prosecutor, Violent Crime Investigation Department, Incheon District Prosecutors' Office

Incheon, known as the "gateway to Korea," is considered the front line in the fight against narcotics. The investigative team defending this region is now facing a dilemma. Starting in October, they will no longer be authorized to investigate narcotics crimes. As a result, there have been calls to establish a control tower that can provide an integrated response to crime and carry forward the investigative capabilities that the prosecution has developed.

During an interview conducted on April 29 at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, Sung Dukyung, Head of the Violent Crimes Division at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (38th Judicial Research and Training Institute class), stated, "We must quickly establish a control tower to inherit the narcotics investigation capabilities that the prosecution has accumulated." He added, "If this process is delayed, an investigative vacuum could last for a month or two. If the dam we are barely holding back breaks, the number of narcotics offenders could surge in a short period of time."

Sung Dukyung, Chief Prosecutor at Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Chief Prosecutor Sung emphasized that international cooperation is essential to apprehend foreign vessels involved in narcotics crimes. He explained, "Under the leadership of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Asia-Pacific Information Coordination Center for Combating Drug Crimes (APICC) was established in 2012, and 10 Southeast Asian countries were brought in as members. We set up a system that allows investigators to be dispatched to each other's countries for rapid information exchange." He believes that such a system should continue without interruption even after investigative authorities are adjusted.

He continued, "Narcotics crimes are a global issue that transcend borders. To combat such transnational crimes, global cooperation—not just the capacity of individual countries—is necessary." He reiterated, "We need to continue to respond by maintaining the trust and cooperative relationships built over more than ten years through the APICC system, which the prosecution has used effectively."

Chief Prosecutor Sung explained, "Most of the narcotics distributed domestically are smuggled in from abroad, and Incheon, with Incheon International Airport, serves as the gateway to Korea." He particularly noted, "The number of smuggling offenders apprehended in Incheon has been steadily increasing, and the volume of seized narcotics is also considerable."

The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office is the most active among prosecution offices nationwide in international cooperation investigations related to narcotics crimes, handling 30 to 40 such cases annually. In April 2024, during a 'controlled delivery' operation involving 20 kg of methamphetamine, information about the shipment origin obtained by a liaison officer in Thailand was quickly shared with the Thai Narcotics Control Board, leading to the additional seizure of 22 kg of heroin and the arrest of the sender in Thailand. Controlled delivery is a legal investigative technique in which law enforcement, upon intercepting narcotics, either replaces or empties the contents and allows the package to be delivered to its final destination to apprehend suspects. Chief Prosecutor Sung explained, "Due to the non-face-to-face and anonymous nature of narcotics transactions, special investigative techniques such as controlled delivery are frequently used."

Soo Kyung Sung, Chief Prosecutor of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (from the left), Yong Sun Kim, Jun Hyun Hong, and Jae Hoon Jung pose in front of the office before the interview. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

In response to criticism that punishments for the surge in narcotics crimes are too lenient, he emphasized the importance of treatment and rehabilitation. A significant proportion of offenders are subject to suspended indictments, and even among those prosecuted, half receive suspended sentences.

Chief Prosecutor Sung said, "With easier access to drugs compared to the past, the number of offenders in their teens and twenties has increased. Most of these individuals try drugs once or twice out of curiosity or due to peer pressure and later regret it. In such cases, I believe providing opportunities for rehabilitation rather than punishment may better support their reintegration into society." He added, "If they are determined, conditional suspended indictments are necessary, but we closely monitor whether they are fulfilling their obligations and complying with requirements. If there is no visible intention to rehabilitate, we impose strict punishment."

Chief Prosecutor Sung stressed that investigating narcotics crimes made him acutely aware that efforts must be made at the pan-government level, not just by a single agency. He realized that inter-agency cooperation and collaboration are more important than anything else. He emphasized, "To ensure that the prosecution's capabilities and know-how are not lost, a control tower such as a 'Narcotics Agency' is needed to bring together the strengths of investigative agencies. I hope legislative discussions on this matter will proceed smoothly."

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.