Drug Club 'Kkanbu' President Sentenced to 3 Years in First Trial... "Serious Nature of Crime"

The president of a joint club, composed of students from prestigious universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, was sentenced to imprisonment in the first trial for purchasing and using drugs.

The Criminal Division 14 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Chief Judge Jang Seong-hoon) sentenced Yeom (32), who was indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act, to three years in prison on the afternoon of the 8th. In addition, Yeom was ordered to pay a fine of 13,426,000 won and complete 40 hours each of drug addiction rehabilitation education and sexual violence treatment programs.

Lee (26), a club executive who was tried together with Yeom that day, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison with a four-year probation period, ordered to complete 40 hours of drug addiction rehabilitation education, and fined 3,465,000 won.

The court stated the sentencing reasons, saying, "Drug crimes cause mental deterioration and harm public health due to their addictive and hallucinogenic nature, and have a negative impact by inducing additional crimes. Considering the type, amount, frequency, and duration of the drugs used by the defendants, the nature of the crime is serious."

Yeom and Lee led the activities of a joint club formed mainly by students from 13 prestigious universities in the metropolitan area and were arrested and indicted last July on charges of distributing and using drugs collectively for about a year since the end of 2022.

Previously, Hong (27), who was also a member of the same club and used drugs, was sentenced to one year in prison, and Lee (35), a specialist at a top general hospital in Seoul who used drugs with members, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year probation period.