‘War on Drugs’ Customs Service Fights to Regain Status as a Drug-Free Nation

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Customs Service is taking steps to restore its tarnished status as a drug-free country. This year is set as the inaugural year in the war against drugs, aiming to fundamentally block drug smuggling at the border stage.

◆ South Korea’s Drug-Free Image Tarnished = According to the Korea Customs Service’s ‘2022 Drug Smuggling Crackdown Trends’ released on the 2nd, the amount of drugs seized last year was 771 cases totaling 624 kg.

The main smuggling routes were international mail (461 cases, 361 kg), express cargo (196 cases, 226 kg), and air travelers (112 cases, 36 kg).

In particular, the weight of drugs seized by major smuggling routes last year increased compared to the previous year: international mail by 87%, express cargo by 86%, and air travelers by 157%, indicating an overall increase in seized weight across all sectors including general cargo (transshipment and misdelivery included).

The tarnished image of being a drug-free country is also confirmed through the drug smuggling status over the past five years. The weight of smuggled drugs was 362 kg (659 cases) in 2018, 412 kg (661 cases) in 2019, 148 kg (696 cases) in 2020, 1,272 kg (1,054 cases) in 2021, and 624 kg (771 cases) in 2022, showing an increasing trend.

The sharp increase in drug smuggling weight in 2021 was due to two large-scale drug smuggling cases (802 kg) included that year.

However, even excluding these two large-scale cases in 2021, the smuggled drug weight was 470 kg, so the 624 kg in 2022 represents a 32% increase compared to that year, making it difficult to conclude that drug smuggling was only high in a specific year (2021).

Above all, recently, as drug smuggling for domestic distribution and sales involving international drug trafficking organizations has increased, concerns are growing that South Korea could rise from a drug-free country to an emerging drug-consuming country.

◆ Korea Customs Service Draws the Sword: “Fundamental Blockade from the Border Stage” = In response to the increase in drug smuggling and the infiltration of drugs into various parts of society, the Korea Customs Service is taking decisive action.

This year is designated as the inaugural year of the ‘war against drugs,’ aiming to fundamentally block drug smuggling at the border stage.

To this end, the Korea Customs Service will promote 12 tasks across four major areas based on ▲ establishing a constant crackdown system for drug smuggling ▲ shifting the customs inspection system to focus on blocking illegal items such as drugs ▲ building a close cooperation system with domestic and international related agencies and the private sector ▲ fundamentally reinforcing crackdown infrastructure such as personnel, organization, and equipment.

The four major areas emphasized by the Korea Customs Service in the war against drugs are strengthening customs inspections, expanding crackdown infrastructure, activating domestic and international cooperation, and enhancing investigative capabilities.

Among these, strengthening customs inspections is the first gateway to fundamentally blocking drug smuggling at the border stage. The Korea Customs Service will strengthen inspections by distinguishing international mail, express shipments, air travelers, and general import cargo.

Additionally, the Risk Management Center will be designated as the control tower to share high-risk information in real time with domestic and international related agencies and to enhance big data analysis.

Expanding crackdown infrastructure will be achieved by significantly increasing the number of dedicated drug investigation personnel from the current 47 to 126, while also expanding the introduction of high-performance equipment at customs sites.

Furthermore, the Korea Customs Service plans to expand bilateral and multilateral joint crackdowns with major drug supply countries, Asia-Pacific customs authorities, and others centered on the internal international drug crackdown task force, and to activate domestic and international cooperation through an organic cooperation system with related agencies such as the prosecution, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Yoon Tae-sik, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, said, “It has been eight years since South Korea lost its status as a ‘drug-free country,’ and it is currently turning into a ‘drug-consuming country.’ The Korea Customs Service will take action to fundamentally block drug smuggling at the border stage with the determination that ‘if not now, there will be no more opportunities.’”