It's been a long time since we were a ``drug-free country''...Drug offenses in South Korea exceeded ``7,000'' in the first half of this year

The saying that ``Korea is a drug-free country'' is a thing of the past. Drug crimes in South Korea this year are expected to continue to 2021 and reach the highest level ever.
According to documents obtained from the National Police Agency on the 29th by Yoo Sang-beom, a member of the ruling party's "People's Power" who is a member of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee of the South Korean National Assembly.
There were a total of 7,701 drug offenders in the first half of the year, an increase of approximately 29% compared to the same period last year (5,988). If this trend continues, the number of drug offenders could reach the mid to high 10,000 range by the end of the year.
expensive. In 2018, the number of drug offenses per year remained in the 8,000 range, but since 2019, the number has increased to the 10,000 range.
By year, after 8,107 people in 2018, 10,411 people in 2019, 12,209 people in 2020, and 2021
This number will increase by 10,626 people in 2020 and 12,387 people in 2022. In particular, the number of drug offenses among teenagers will increase from 104 in 2018 to 294 in 2022, a 2.83-fold increase in four years.
is also increasing. In the first half of this year, the number was 273, which is already approaching the number at the end of last year. Rep. Yoo said, ``The prosecution and police will devote all their efforts in the investigation to eradicating drug distribution and sales organizations.''
``We must reconsider the entire collapsed national drug control system and regain the country's former status as a drug-free country.''