[The Editors' Verdict]There Is No Ruling or Opposition Party in the 'War on Drugs'

"Last year, the budget related to drug prevention and crackdowns was about 100 billion won, but this year it only increased by 8 billion won."

Two days after the ‘Drug Control Measures Council’ meeting was held on the afternoon of the 27th at the Government Seoul Office, I called Bang Moon-kyu, the Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination who chaired the meeting. I was curious about what was discussed with the vice-minister level officials from drug-related ministries such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, National Police Agency, Coast Guard, Customs Service, and National Intelligence Service.

Bang, who is in charge of the ‘war on drugs’ control tower, expressed frustration, saying, "The budget for drug eradication was significantly cut during the National Assembly’s review process at the end of last year." Yet, he was confident that our society must not neglect the drug problem. "The government has a strong sense of crisis. If we do not create a turning point to reduce drug offenders this year, the situation could become serious." South Korea, which once held the status of a drug-free country, is no longer free from drugs. The number of drug offenders increased from 14,123 in 2017 to 16,153 in 2021. Among them, 60% are in their teens to thirties.

Bang emphasized, "It is important to apprehend drug-related illegal activities, and since offenders who cannot quit drugs cannot be left alone, treatment and monitoring must continue through treatment protection facilities and rehabilitation centers within prisons." He also stressed the importance of drug prevention and treatment targeting youth. He pledged to vigorously promote cooperation among domestic ministries for prevention and treatment, as well as international cooperation with foreign countries.

The war on drugs initiated by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has just begun. The declaration of this war was made on October 21 last year at the Police Day ceremony, when President Yoon ordered, "With the mission to protect our future generations, please ensure victory in the war on drugs." Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon stated in his New Year’s address this year, "The drug crime situation is very concerning, with a rapid increase in drug offenders among young people," and added, "We must strongly crack down on and punish drug crimes."

The government’s war on drugs is comprehensive. Crackdowns on drug offenders are conducted through the prosecution and police, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Intelligence Service, Coast Guard, and Customs Service block overseas bases and domestic inflow routes. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are engaged in prevention and treatment. In particular, the prosecution plans to soon launch a ‘Special Investigation Team for Drug Crimes and a Dedicated Dark Web Investigation Team.’

The fact that ordinary people such as office workers, housewives, students, soldiers, and public officials are included in the drug offenders indicates that drugs are not just a problem of certain groups but are widespread throughout society. Drugs ruin countries. The Qing Dynasty collapsed due to opium, and even now, many countries fail to establish national authority properly due to drug management failures.

Some political circles are attacking the government that declared the war on drugs. These attacks are mostly carried out in highly political language and appear as opposition party obstruction. This war does not infringe on the freedom or human rights of the people. Rather, it establishes the most fundamental conditions for creating a free and safe society. There can be no ruling or opposition party in the face of the war on drugs. Bang appealed, "Please view the seriousness of the drug problem purely."