South Korea drug addict documents rehab as country grapples with addiction

He deliberately showed his face on social media with hopes that it would help him kick his methamphetamine habit forever -- and it has.

He had help from a privately-run Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (DARC) where he received counselling and a part-time job at a restaurant, as part of occupational therapy.

"I'd never had a job or daily life like this since taking drugs, but now I am thrilled to think I might be able to regain my daily life. I feel I'm slowly recovering the lively and positive side of me,” Lee said at his workplace.

Lee's candid account of his struggles is just one example of a growing drug-abuse problem in the country.

The number of people convicted of drug-related crimes shot up from around 12,000 in 2015 to more than 16,000 in 2021, according to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Almost 60% of the 2021 convicts are aged 39 or younger, and the number of teenage offenders jumped 44% from 2020-21.

In recent months, the arrests of celebrities such as award-winning actor Yoo Ah-in and chaebol heirs on charges of taking illegal drugs prompted authorities to ramp up crackdowns and bolster customs enforcement.

The total amount of confiscated illicit drugs more than tripled in just one year to a record 1.3 tonnes (2,870 lb) in 2021, due partly to multinational investigations into smuggling rings, the prosecutors' data showed. Meth, cocaine and marijuana make up around 85% of the seizures, but authorities were also seeing more synthetic cannabinoids and opioids like fentanyl, which is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine.

"I feel that more and more drugs are being brought in. Drugs are hidden in many different ways, usually inside food or powders such as seasoning and ground coffee. They are also mixed in shampoo or body products,” said Lee Kyoung-ran, an officer at Incheon Regional Customs said after checking suspicious parcels from overseas.

Drug-related crimes were also getting more complex.

Earlier this month, a group of four people were accused of giving out a beverage containing methamphetamine and other drugs to high school students in Seoul, fooling them the drink is for memory improvement, Yonhap news agency reported citing police. The suspects allegedly blackmailed the parents of these students and demanded money, threatening to report their children to the police for drug usage, the report added.

South Korea recently unveiled plans to launch special investigation squads to clamp down on drug makers and distributors and to expand state-run rehab facilities nationwide. However, when asked about the expansion, the Food and Drug Safety Ministry said it would add only one centre this year due to budget constraints but would continue efforts for drug addicts to access these facilities.

Choi Jin-mook, 48, who fought addiction for more than 20 years -- since he was 17 -- said he ended his addiction without government help. He has advocated for a shift in the narcotics policy towards treatment, saying the country's correction system focuses on punitive detention but lacks rehabilitation support.

Drug crimes are typically punishable by at least six months in prison or up to 14 years for repeat offenders or dealers. Technically, many drug crimes are also punishable by death but South Korea has not carried out any executions since 1997.

Drugs have become cheaper and more accessible because of social media and an increase in overseas travel, Choi said.

"The golden time for treatment of addiction is when you get caught for the first time. But they (the government) just lost the golden time. If we give this person proper treatment and (rehabilitation) foundation and let him get through it, we can get good results from treatment and reduction in relapse rates,” said Choi.

Most first- and second-time offenders usually receive suspended sentences and mandatory drug education for up to 40 hours, which Choi said does little to help get them off drugs.

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network