'Smoking Marijuana During Prenatal Travel'... Prosecution Indicts 17 Marijuana Offenders Including Third-Generation Chaebols and Celebrities

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Violent Crime Investigation Division (Chief Prosecutor Shin Junho), which conducted a focused investigation into the drug trafficking, consumption, and distribution activities among influential figures such as third-generation chaebols and celebrities, announced on the 26th that it has indicted 17 related individuals and issued wanted notices for 3 who fled overseas.

According to the prosecution on the day, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Violent Crime Division indicted 17 marijuana offenders (10 detained, 7 not detained), including Hong Mo (40), grandson of the founder of Namyang Dairy Products, Jo Mo (39), third-generation of the Beom Hyo-seong family, and Lim Mo (38), son-in-law of the former chairman of JB Financial Group. Among those indicted were second- and third-generation chaebols and mid-sized company heirs, entertainment agency representatives, and singers with U.S. nationality. Three others, including the son of former National Police Agency chief Kim Mo and an office worker, who confessed to the crimes at the prosecution, were also sent to trial without detention. The prosecution issued wanted notices for three individuals, including the grandson of the founder of Company A, who fled overseas to evade the investigation.

According to the prosecution's investigation, they had their own supply channels and secretly distributed and smoked marijuana. In particular, second- and third-generation chaebols and mid-sized company heirs played a key role in the supply chain. It was confirmed that most of them were introduced to marijuana during their overseas studies and continued to smoke it for several years after returning to Korea. Additionally, some were caught by the prosecution for cultivating marijuana at home with underage children or smoking marijuana during prenatal trips with pregnant wives. Brothers who jointly sold marijuana were also caught by the prosecution.

Their crimes were fully revealed when the prosecution supplemented the investigation into the case where unemployed B was arrested and sent to prosecution last September on charges of marijuana cultivation. The prosecution searched B's residence and tracked remittance records and international mail, eventually investigating a total of 20 related individuals.

Through this investigation, the prosecution confirmed that marijuana's addictiveness and dependency remain serious and announced that it will strictly crack down on smoking and block distribution and spread.

Marijuana is a 'gateway' drug leading to more addictive substances such as methamphetamine, requiring strong enforcement. A prosecution official emphasized, "Recently, drugs have been spreading regardless of age, class, gender, or region, and the sense of guilt about drug use is weakening," adding, "We will strictly respond to drug crimes to restore the status of a drug-free country."