by Sihyun Baek, Grade 11, (16-17 years old) Chadwick International School 06.29.2025

 

[AI Generated, Addiction. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

South Korea is grappling with a mounting crisis as incidents of teenage drug use increase exponentially, raising serious concerns about youth safety and failed public education systems.

The latest incident, involving two middle schoolers caught using marijuana in a neighborhood playground in Seoul on April 25, has once again brought the issue to the forefront for concerned parents, teachers, and lawmakers alike. 

The students were seen smoking liquid cannabis in broad daylight, prompting local residents to notify the police. 

Authorities are currently looking into how the teens obtained the drugs.

Nationally, the number of juvenile drug offenders, aged 18 and younger, rose to 450 in 2021, marking a 43.8% increase from the previous year and nearly quadrupling since 2018, according to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. 

In Seoul alone, teenage drug offenders surged nearly fivefold in just one year, from 48 in 2022 to 235 in 2023.

South Korea, known for its stringent drug laws and historically low rates of domestic usage, now finds itself fighting against a growing number of youth turning to drugs through online platforms and encrypted messaging services like Telegram. 

The rise of drug transactions using anonymous cryptocurrency transactions such as  Bitcoin has dramatically lowered the barriers to accessing such substances online. 

In one case during the summer of 2022, for instance, a drug cartel run entirely online by an 18-year-old using encrypted apps to distribute methamphetamine and MDMA was exposed by police officers. 

Similarly, in November of 2021, a drug-trading chat room was discovered on Telegram.

Prosecutors revealed that all 180 members of the chat room were members of a criminal drug organization, most of whom were teenagers.  

But marijuana and party drugs aren’t the only substances of concern. 

Illegally obtained prescription psychotropic medications are emerging as the country’s primary gateway drugs. 

An increasing number of teenagers have been caught distributing fentanyl patches and pills like Dietamin, an appetite suppressant.

The pill, however, is also a dangerous psychotropic drug derived from amphetamines that produces hallucinations and has addictive properties.

These prescription drugs, often perceived as “safe” or “medically approved,” are creating a dangerous normalization of drug use among teens and increasing the risk of long-term addiction and overdose.

From 2019 to 2021, prescription psychotropics accounted for 55.4% of youth drug cases, followed by cocaine and heroin at 23.8%, and marijuana at 20.8%. 

In one major investigation in June of 2023, 100 teenagers in South Gyeongsang Province were arrested for selling and abusing Dietamin tablets obtained online.

Experts point to peer pressure and stress as the key triggers, particularly within Telegram chat rooms. 

Pop culture also plays a significant role; for example, fentanyl was commonly used by hip-hop rappers in 2019 and has since grown in popularity among teenagers.

To counter this growing issue, authorities have begun intense cyber investigations. 

In 2023 alone, more than 1,000 online crackdowns led to the shutdown of 78 drug-dealing accounts on platforms like Telegram and Instagram. 

Yet, the increasingly sophisticated methods of drug distribution pose serious challenges for law enforcement.

Dealers frequently change their online handles, communicate in code using emojis, and utilize “dead drop” methods, such as hiding drugs in public spaces for buyers to retrieve using GPS coordinates, making it difficult for someone to trace their tracks. 

Understandably, the consequences of this rise in drug use among teenagers are devastating. 

 Drug abuse has been directly linked to an increase in youth suicide attempts. 

Between 2019 to mid-2023, approximately 46.4% of teen suicide attempts resulting in hospitalization were associated with drug use, according to the National Medical Center. 

In 2021 alone, 1,678 minors were treated for drug abuse, a 41.4% jump from the previous year.

To combat this issue, many suggest implementing strengthened education systems on drugs by collaborating with related institutions.

Likewise, while some lawmakers have recently proposed bills to mandate such education programs, experts say the movement lacks urgency and public support and is failing to garner much attention, with the country having yet to integrate drug prevention into its national school curriculum.

For instance, in May of 2024, Government Representative Lee Tae-kyu proposed a bill to mandate drug education in schools, requiring them to implement age-specific drug education programs in collaboration with public health agencies. 

However, as of now, the bill remains stalled in committee.

Comparatively, in the United States, the implementation of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programs nationwide began as early as the 1980s, laying the foundation for more modern prevention strategies. 

Simultaneously, South Korea continues to face a lack of infrastructure for rehabilitation sites, as they still remain largely underdeveloped. 

Experts estimate that around 40% of Korean drug offenders return to prison within three years of their release. 

Such a high rate is often linked to the stigma they face in society, with many struggling to find employment, being rejected by hospitals, and being generally excluded from mainstream social life.

Likewise, the number of rehabilitation facilities for minors is limited.  

KAADA, one of the few rehabilitation centers for teen users, receives about 1,000 patients per year, only 10% of whom are under 19. 

Experts note that this is not reflective of actual use rates, but rather the result of underreporting and such social stigma that keep teens and their families silent.

Data gaps also hinder progress. 

Because many teen users are released as first-time offenders, their cases often fail to reach prosecutors, resulting in underreported figures. 

This makes it harder for lawmakers to assess the full scale of the crisis or design policies that address it adequately.

Parents have taken to online forums to express their fears, demanding school assemblies, national awareness campaigns, and stricter regulations on medical prescriptions.

In an interview with Ms. Cha, a concerned parent, commented, “It worries me even more because I don’t have a way of knowing what my child does online, especially as he gets older. You have to respect their autonomy, but at the same time, they could be accessing websites and chat rooms they shouldn’t be in.” 

Another parent, Mr. Kim, stated, “We need more education programs about drug prevention at school. Our children know that drugs are bad, but they don’t fully understand the long-term consequences or how easily peer pressure can lead them down the wrong path.”

Source:  http://www.heraldinsight.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=5498