No. of Koreans involved in overseas drag trafficking triples in 2 yrs: lawmaker
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Koreans who received consular supp...
The number of South Koreans receiving consular assistance due to involvement in drug trafficking overseas has more than tripled over the past two years, according to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party. In 2024, 47 Korean nationals were cited for illegal substance-related offenses, compared to 16 in 2023 and 23 in 2024, based on data from the foreign ministry.
The majority of these cases involved individuals in their 30s, accounting for nearly half of the total, followed by those in their 40s and 20s. There were also five individuals in their 70s and two people in their 80s. The countries with the highest number of individuals receiving consular support include Cambodia (11), Thailand (10), Japan (9), Laos (8), China (7), Vietnam (6), Britain (6), Turkey (6), and Cambodia (5).
Rep. Kim Joon-hwan called for heightened awareness of these crimes among tourists during the summer holiday season and urged the foreign ministry and police to strengthen preventative measures.
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