Drug Addiction Treatment and Prevention Budget Only 2 Million Won
Councilor Jeong Da-eun: "City Must Show Active Commitment"
Although drug offenders in the Gwangju area are rapidly increasing, it has been revealed that Gwangju City's treatment of drug addicts and management of narcotics are passive.
On the 5th, Jeong Da-eun, a member of the Gwangju City Council (Democratic Party·Buk-gu 2), criticized during the 2025 main budget review of the Welfare and Health Bureau, stating, "About 84% of the budget for drug addict treatment and eradication management is allocated to public late-night pharmacies, which have nothing to do with drugs."
The budget related to drug addict treatment and eradication included in next year's Gwangju City main budget is 490 million KRW, of which 410 million KRW is for operating public late-night pharmacies. The actual budget for narcotics management and treatment/prevention is only 77 million KRW.
According to the Gwangju Police Agency, the number of drug offenders in the region increased nearly 14 times over 10 years, from 53 in 2013 to 740 last year. The recidivism rate for drug addiction from 2020 to 2022 averaged 46%, indicating that even after arrest, addicts fail to escape the symptoms of addiction and continue using drugs. The Gwangju Municipal Psychiatric Hospital, which is a treatment and protection institution for drug addicts, has had no cases of addiction treatment and protection in the past six years.
Despite the significant increase in drug offenders, Gwangju City allocated only 2 million KRW (50% national funds, 50% city funds) for drug addict treatment in next year's main budget. This is actually a reduction of 3 million KRW compared to the previous year.
The city also shows a lukewarm attitude toward guidance and inspection of narcotics handlers. The number of guidance and inspection cases for narcotics handlers over the past three years has gradually decreased: ▲1,560 cases in 2022 ▲562 cases in 2023 ▲369 cases as of September 2024. There are a total of 3,411 medical institutions handling narcotics in Gwangju. The number of on-site inspections is ▲29 cases in 2022 ▲218 cases in 2023 ▲143 cases as of September 2024. The budget for guidance and inspection of narcotics-handling medical institutions in the area is only 4.9 million KRW.
Councilor Jeong emphasized, "Drug addiction is difficult to overcome alone, and complete abstinence is practically impossible," adding, "Gwangju City must show a proactive will in drug addiction treatment and prevention."
Jeong also urged, "Due to a lack of infrastructure, those needing treatment are missing the appropriate timing. It is difficult to help them with merely formal budgets related to drug addicts. Practical measures must be prepared for drug addiction treatment and protection as well as management and supervision of narcotics-handling institutions."
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