"Poppies Bloomed in the Flower Bed"…Voluntary Report Leads to Threat of Punishment

Poppies Blooming in Front Yard Flowerbed
Voluntary Report Led to Punishment Instead

A netizen's story about voluntarily reporting poppies blooming in the flowerbed in front of their house but instead being punished has sparked controversy.

Poppies blooming in the flower bed.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 9th, a post titled "Voluntarily reported poppies blooming in the flowerbed" was uploaded to an online community. The post became a major topic, recording 34,000 views and 500 recommendations as of 6 p.m. that day. The author, Mr. A, began by saying, "I voluntarily reported the poppies blooming, but I received a notice that I would face either a summary judgment fine or a suspension of prosecution."

Mr. A discovered poppies blooming in the flowerbed while visiting his family home located in the countryside. Although he did not cultivate the poppies, he was still subject to punishment after voluntarily reporting them to the police. Mr. A said, "Only eight sprouts appeared, and I didn't even grow them, but now I’m facing punishment," adding, "It's not like I was secretly cultivating them or hiding firewood. If this is how they respond, who would report it?"

He continued, "After the report, the police pulled out the poppies, and the investigation at the criminal division has concluded. They said they would decide whether to proceed with summary judgment or suspend prosecution and then contact me," and appealed, "If I wanted to grow them, I would have. Who would report it with a smile? My mother can't even go to work and has been at the criminal division since morning."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "It's a world where you become a criminal even if you don't know what poppies are or can't recognize them," "Who would report if this is the reaction," "They just grew naturally after flying in; what kind of punishment is that," and "Seeds from poppies secretly cultivated nearby must have flown over."

National Police Agency’s Investigation Headquarters to Intensify Crackdown on Poppy and Hemp Cultivation from May to July

Police dispatched to collect poppies.
[Photo by Online Community]

Meanwhile, on the 8th, the National Police Agency’s Investigation Headquarters announced that they would intensively crack down on illegal secret cultivation of poppies and hemp during the flowering and harvesting season from May to July. Poppies can be processed into powerful drugs such as morphine, heroin, and codeine by extracting opium from their pods. The police stated that they would conduct active intelligence gathering and inquiries to inspect areas suspected of illegal cultivation. If wild poppies or hemp are found, they will be destroyed through local governments and related agencies, and high-intensity investigations will continue if illegal activities are confirmed.

Farmers who cultivate or use poppies, the raw material for opium, can face imprisonment of up to five years or fines of up to 50 million won under the Narcotics Control Act. However, even poppies subject to crackdown are exempt from punishment if they are small-scale or ornamental poppies. The National Police Agency reported that the number of arrests for illegal poppy and hemp cultivation last year was 2,902, a 75.2% increase compared to the previous year (1,656). The seized quantities totaled 168,184 poppy plants and 12,304 hemp plants, a 48.0% increase overall, totaling 180,488 plants.