Seoul: The number of drug offenders in South Korea surpassed the 20,000 mark for the second consecutive year in 2024, with individuals in their 20s and 30s making up over 60 percent of the total, data showed Sunday. Last year, a total of 23,022 people were apprehended for drug-related offenses, reflecting a decrease of 16.6 percent from a record high of 27,611 in 2023.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the annual drug crime report compiled by the Supreme Prosecutors Office revealed that the data from 2020 and the subsequent year recorded 18,050 and 16,153 offenders, respectively. These numbers surged to 18,395 in 2022, and then dramatically increased to 27,611 in 2023, setting new records for two consecutive years.
The report highlights that of those apprehended last year, 60.8 percent were individuals in their 20s and 30s, an increase from 54.5 percent in 2023. Additionally, the number of foreigners apprehended on drug-related charges reached a record high of 3,232 people last year, influenced partly by the growing number of foreign residents in the country.
Conversely, teenage drug offenders saw a significant reduction, falling by 56.1 percent from the previous year to 649 in 2024. Authorities also confiscated 11,173.2 kg of drugs last year, marking a 17.6 percent increase from the previous year.