"Crackdown on Drug and Other Public Safety Crimes"... Government to Launch Interagency Special Crackdown Next Month

Special Crackdown on Voice Phishing and Illegal Private Loans to Be Strengthened
Government Holds Public Livelihood Crime Inspection Meeting Led by Acting Prime Minister Choi

The government will conduct a special joint crackdown involving all relevant agencies starting next month to eradicate drug-related crimes. Additionally, an online investigation team will be established within the National Police Agency this month to investigate non-face-to-face drug distribution networks such as Telegram. This initiative aims to significantly reduce crimes affecting public livelihood, including drugs, amid growing domestic and international economic uncertainties.

On the afternoon of the 6th, Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, visited the National Police Agency to preside over a public livelihood crime inspection meeting with these measures as the agenda.

Acting Prime Minister Choi stated, "In today's meeting, we will review the current status of public livelihood crimes such as drugs, voice phishing, and illegal private loans, and assess whether the existing measures are functioning properly. In addition to the current measures, we will focus on implementing intensive special crackdowns and improving related laws and systems so that the public can feel the effectiveness of these measures."

First, the government plans to conduct biannual special joint crackdowns on drug-related crimes. A joint task force composed of the National Police Agency, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Korea Coast Guard, Korea Customs Service, and Ministry of Justice will operate, starting this April, focusing on vulnerable areas for drug crimes such as entertainment establishments, foreigner-dense facilities, and public ports and airports.

To strengthen responses to the recently increasing non-face-to-face drug transactions, the existing 'Dark Web Investigation Team' within the National Police Agency will be reorganized into an 'Online Investigation Team' next month. This team will focus on cracking down on non-face-to-face drug distribution networks through social networking services (SNS) such as Telegram and illegal virtual asset exchanges.

To block drugs entering from overseas, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will dispatch drug investigators to three major drug source countries?Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia?to activate local joint investigations. Furthermore, the government plans to expand the number of countries participating in the International Cooperation Conference on Drug Control (ADLOMICO), led by South Korea, to strengthen the international cooperation system.

Measures against voice phishing will also be reinforced. The police will conduct special crackdowns on major crime tools such as voice phishing call centers and money laundering organizations, and improve the account tracking investigation system to pursue the criminal organizations to the end. They plan to actively promote joint crackdowns on overseas base call centers by strengthening cooperative networks with countries such as China and Vietnam.

Acting Prime Minister Choi said, "We will prohibit the domestic distribution of number spoofing devices to prevent overseas phone numbers from being disguised as domestic numbers. Mutual finance institutions will significantly strengthen their crime response infrastructure to a level similar to that of banks by securing dedicated personnel, and we will also inspect the operation status of screening systems at frontline bank branches."

Regarding the issue of illegal private loans, the government will expand the supply of formal financial services to low-income citizens to prevent them from resorting to illegal private loans. This year, the supply of policy-based financial services for low-income citizens will be expanded to a record high of about 12 trillion won annually, and additional measures will be devised to increase funding supply to low-credit groups through private financial institutions, including mid-interest loans.

Acting Prime Minister Choi urged, "Relevant ministries and agencies should mobilize all available resources with extraordinary determination to swiftly implement the measures discussed today."