[Why&Next]② Yoon's 'War on Drugs' Accelerates... Concerns Over Silos Among 11 Ministries

Office for Government Policy Coordination Oversees Drug Response Across 11 Ministries
Close Coordination and Systematic Organization Among Ministries Must Be Thoroughly Achieved

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] "Please win the war against drugs."

President Yoon Suk-yeol made this request to government ministries during the 'Police Day' ceremony on October 21 last year, marking the start of a speed-driven government campaign against drugs.

According to the joint 'Drug Control Council Agenda' document obtained by Asia Economy on the 9th, the government plans to mobilize all government capabilities over the next year to eradicate drug crimes.

To this end, the Drug Control Council has been elevated to a meeting chaired by the Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and 'Drug Crime Working Groups' have been established and operated across six regional zones nationwide, including the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Korea Customs Service, National Police Agency, and Korea Coast Guard. The inter-ministerial Drug Control Council includes 11 related ministries such as the National Forensic Service, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, National Police Agency, Korea Coast Guard, Korea Customs Service, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, and Korea Communications Commission.

While the scope and scale of the initiative appear broad and extensive, concerns remain about inter-ministerial silos, power struggles, overlapping duties, competition for achievements, lack of a central coordinating point, and inefficiencies. Drug crime response involves cooperation in criminal investigations (Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Korea Customs Service, National Police Agency, Korea Coast Guard), prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Welfare), and recently, with the rise in juvenile drug offenders, the Ministry of Education has also become involved, making it a matter for all government ministries. Inside and outside government ministries, there are reports of subtle leadership struggles among ministries over the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s policy agenda of the 'war on drugs.'

There are even 12 central ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office, that must consult to promote drug control measures (Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Personnel Management, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism). Including affiliated agencies such as drug addiction rehabilitation centers, probation offices, integrated addiction management support centers, and private drug addiction rehabilitation centers (DARC), the scope expands further. The enforcement cases and statistics announced by central ministries and affiliated agencies responsible for drug response also vary. This is why the role of the Office for Government Policy Coordination as a 'control tower' to coordinate and adjust policies among ministries is becoming increasingly important.

A senior government official stated, “Since the policy goal of responding to drug crimes is fundamentally about government-led agenda setting, there is a need for healthy competition among ministries. However, it is necessary to firmly establish the control tower’s central role to ensure that decisions are made quickly without policy overlaps or noise.”

In fact, there are many issues that require cross-ministerial collaboration to manage drugs effectively. The Drug Control Council agenda lists numerous matters where 12 ministries must cooperate with others.

The Korea Customs Service noted the need to share information such as personal data of foreigners involved in drug crimes and overseas nationals, requiring cooperation with the Ministry of Justice’s jurisdiction over departure orders and forced deportation measures for foreigners, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ local consular assistance information on overseas nationals’ arrests, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s information on excessive prescriptions of narcotics and pharmaceuticals.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that cooperation and support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which oversees the Korea Association of Travel Agents and the Korea Tourism Organization, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation, are necessary for promoting awareness among the travel industry about overseas drug consumption and import warnings. The National Forensic Service indicated the need for cooperation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Ministry of Personnel Management to respond to drugs, as support and consultation from related ministries are important for establishing new units, reinforcing equipment, and recruiting talent.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office requested active dispatch and cooperation of health and medical professionals from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and cooperation from the Korea Customs Service for dispatching specialized personnel to regional customs offices dedicated to drug smuggling investigations.

Because of this, the government has begun revising regulations related to the Drug Control Council. The plan is to elevate it from a Prime Minister’s Ordinance to a Drug Control Act. This upgrade, led by the Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination at the ministerial level, aims to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation systems. The chairperson has been elevated from the Director of the Social Coordination Office to the Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and members have been upgraded from bureau chiefs to deputy heads of ministries.

Securing the budget is also critical. During the passage of the budget bill in the National Assembly plenary session last year, many of the increased budgets related to drug response that were accepted in standing committees were cut, leading to complaints of manpower shortages in several ministries for drug response in 2023. In inter-ministerial meetings, additional budget needs mentioned included dedicated budgets for drug crime investigations (Korea Coast Guard), treatment and protection institutions and drug addiction management (Ministry of Health and Welfare), and the 2023 ADRMICO hosting budget (Supreme Prosecutors' Office).

Visiting Director Bang Moon-kyu of the Office for Government Policy Coordination told Asia Economy in a phone interview, “We will reflect the relevant budget increases in next year’s budget to ensure efficient drug crime response. We are closely monitoring the rise in juvenile drug crimes and will do our best to catch them early and effectively resolve drug-related crimes.”