Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Drug Enforcement Headquarters Seek Solutions to Rising Juvenile Drug Offenses

Joint Seminar Held

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Korea Anti-Drug Movement Headquarters (MAD Headquarters) held a joint seminar on the 15th at the MAD Headquarters in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, to analyze the situation of youth drug crimes and seek effective response measures.

Last year, 235 youth drug offenders were arrested by the police, nearly five times the number in 2022 (48). By gender, female youths accounted for 184, representing a high proportion, and by age, high school grades 1 to 3 (ages 17 to 19) made up 70.3%. Regarding drug types, psychotropic substances accounted for the highest proportion at 84.7%, compared to marijuana (14.5%) and narcotics (0.8%).

Based on this analysis, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to carry out customized prevention activities considering the characteristics of target groups according to crime types. They also plan to improve and utilize educational materials for School Police Officers (SPOs) by including the risks of psychotropic substances and others in crime prevention education.

Furthermore, among 46 drug-addicted youths referred from the police to the MAD Headquarters, only 17 actually participated in counseling and treatment, while the remaining 29 did not participate in the programs due to refusal by the subjects or admission to juvenile detention centers.

Accordingly, the seminar reached a consensus on the need to improve the system so that treatment and counseling for youth drug offenders can be promptly conducted from the early stages of police investigation to increase program participation rates.

Jo Ji-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said, "Recently, the youth drug problem, which has rapidly increased due to the development of smartphones and other factors, is a serious social issue that completely destroys the future of youth, families, and social well-being. The Seoul Police are strictly cracking down and investigating these crimes," and added, "We will strive to efficiently promote customized prevention activities and cooperate with specialized institutions to ensure timely treatment and counseling for addicted students."