Cocaine Lands in Korea: Transit Point or Final Destination? [News Inside ①]

Cocaine Smuggling Uncovered at Okgye Port in Gangneung
2 Tons Seized, Enough for 67 Million Doses
Tighter Crackdowns Block US and European Routes
Korea Emerges as a Strategic Distribution Hub?
Drug Prices 2-3 Times Higher Than Neighboring Countries
High Profitability Attracts Cartels
Surge in Foreign Drug Offenders
Seizures Quadruple in Four Years
Heightened Risk of Multiple Crimes, Including Sexual Offenses

In the early morning hours of April 2, a bulk carrier quietly slipped into Okgye Port in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, under the cover of darkness. Deep within the ship's engine room, the maritime police discovered bundles of cocaine tightly wrapped in plastic and boxes. The amount of cocaine found was a staggering 2 tons, enough for 67 million people to use at once. Its street value is estimated to reach 1 trillion won.

The Donghae Regional Maritime Police Agency and the Seoul Main Customs Office succeeded in seizing the cocaine after receiving an urgent tip-off from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that a large drug transport vessel from South America was headed for Korea. The vessel carrying the cocaine had passed through Dangjin Port in South Chungcheong Province, Zhangjiagang and Zapu Ports in China, and had attempted to offload the drugs at sea five times, but failed due to adverse weather conditions. Ultimately, the traffickers chose Okgye Port as their final stop, only to be caught in the investigation net.

Two crew members apprehended at the scene were Filipino nationals, and evidence was found of their communications with Central and South American drug cartels. The Filipino crew had agreed to receive 3 million pesos (about 76.62 million won) each, rendezvoused with a small boat carrying cocaine off the coast of Peru, and took possession of the drugs. They then hid the cocaine deep in the engine room and sailed to Korea via Panama. Authorities believe that, in addition to these two, three other Filipino crew members disembarked at Dangjin Port and one more disembarked in Peru, and are conducting an international joint investigation.

Suspected cocaine seized from a vessel at Okgye Port in Gangneung on April 2 is displayed at the Donghae Regional Maritime Police Agency in Donghae, Gangwon Province. (Provided by Donghae Regional Maritime Police Agency)

Why Did the Drug Cartel Choose Korea?

The question remains: why did they choose Korea? Among narcotics, cocaine is one of the most widely distributed and is notorious for its potent hallucinogenic and addictive effects. It is referred to as the "ultimate drug," distributed by international drug organizations in South America, particularly Colombia.

The 2 tons of cocaine seized is an enormous quantity, more than enough for the entire Korean population to use. Beyond this case at Okgye Port, there have been other incidents: in 2021, 400 kg of cocaine from Peru was discovered in sea cargo at Busan Port. In April last year, 28.4 kg of cocaine was found in the lower hold of a vessel from Canada docked at Onsan Port in Ulsan. In August of the same year, 33.2 kg of cocaine was found in sea cargo from the United States at Busan Port. As recently as May 10, 720 kg of cocaine?enough for 24 million people to use at once?was found on a Malta-flagged container ship docked at Busan New Port. Cocaine shipments capable of supplying millions or even tens of millions of doses at a time are flooding into Korea’s ports by sea.

Does this mean that international drug organizations have chosen Korea as the final destination for their cocaine? Experts suggest other possibilities are more likely. Until now, most smuggled drugs have been methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana, with cocaine not being a top priority. A former prosecutor with extensive experience in narcotics investigations stated, "In Korea, the consumption of methamphetamine and other drugs is still higher than that of cocaine," and added, "It is more likely that Korea is being used as a transit point or distribution hub for cocaine, rather than a major consumption market." The crackdown on traditional routes in the United States and Europe has likely forced drug organizations to seek new detours, with Korea and East Asia being utilized as alternative routes.

However, being a transit point or distribution hub does not mean Korea is safe. There are concerns that a full-fledged consumer market may already be forming. Korea has relatively high street prices for drugs, making it a lucrative market for suppliers. The price of the same drug can be two to three times higher than in neighboring countries. In addition, drug transactions are frequently conducted through Telegram, the dark web, and other means that help evade detection, and the widespread use of cryptocurrencies as a payment method has enabled a non-face-to-face distribution structure.

Yoon Heunghee, a professor of addiction rehabilitation counseling at Namseoul University, said, "In the past, drugs often passed through Korea on their way from China or Southeast Asia to Japan, but because drug prices are higher here than in North Korea or Southeast Asia, a structure has been created where traffickers can make more money," adding, "This is one of the reasons why drug proliferation in Korea is inevitable."

The increasing number of foreign residents and students who have studied in the United States or elsewhere abroad is also raising concerns about the full-scale arrival of cocaine in Korea, as more people now have experience using drugs. These individuals are easy targets for international drug organizations. The number of foreign drug offenders continues to surge. According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the number of foreign drug offenders last year was 3,232, more than double the 1,466 recorded in 2020.

Drugs Open the 'Gates of Hell'

Whether as a transit point, distribution route, or final destination, the fact that narcotics are infiltrating the Korean Peninsula is no longer news. Korea is no longer a drug-free country, but is becoming a genuine consumer nation. The amount of narcotics seized by investigative authorities reached 1,173 kg in 2024, about four times more than four years ago.

If the cocaine that has been seized so far had actually been distributed in Korea, the consequences would have been unimaginable. In Korea, a series of crimes such as sexual assaults, confinement, and illegal filming have been linked to drug use, making the warning that "drugs are the start of multiple crimes" a reality. Investigative authorities say that drug crackdowns should be viewed as a matter of national security. They emphasize that, in addition to enforcement and punishment, blocking distribution networks, raising public awareness, and strengthening education are essential for the war on drugs to be truly effective.

The government has been conducting a nationwide special crackdown on drugs at high-risk facilities, including ports, entertainment districts, and medical institutions, for two months from April 16 to June 15. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Division has strengthened its real-time monitoring system of online drug distribution networks, such as Telegram and the dark web, through the 'E-drug System.'

The World Groans Under the 'Cocaine Hellgate'

Cocaine, extracted from coca leaves grown in South American countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, is known as the "ultimate drug" because of its powerful addictive and hallucinogenic properties. Powerful distribution organizations such as the Medellin Cartel and the Cali Cartel, named after Colombian cities, once dominated the U.S. cocaine market, inspiring numerous films and TV dramas.

Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellin Cartel, who was killed in the mid-1990s, was a symbol of the massive drug syndicates. In the 1980s, South American drug cartels, led by Medellin, flooded the U.S. with huge quantities of cocaine, driving prices down and making cocaine synonymous with drugs.

The mass supply of cocaine led to an explosion in the number of drug addicts. The number of cocaine-related emergency cases in the U.S. soared from 26,000 in 1985 to 55,200 in 1986 and 94,000 in 1987. This period, known as the "cocaine crisis" in the U.S., prompted the authorities to go all-in on the war on drugs.

In the 1990s, following the death of Escobar and other events, South America's large cocaine cartels fractured, and as mass distribution in the U.S. became more complicated, cocaine spread to Europe in a "balloon effect." Mexican drug cartels, which had served as distributors, reportedly joined forces with European mafias and even entered production. This is how cocaine gained its notorious reputation as a drug that brings enormous suffering and bloodshed around the world.

Cocaine is not only highly addictive and hallucinogenic, but can also be easily refined to high purity and distributed in large quantities. For this reason, it is sometimes called the "most perfect drug."

Cocaine greatly increases dopamine activity in the brain, and continued use can cause psychological disorders such as insomnia and personality disorders, as well as increased violence and antisocial behavior. Countries around the world, in accordance with international drug conventions, classify non-medical use of cocaine as a crime.

Korea is no longer free from cocaine. According to a study on illegal drug use based on wastewater epidemiology by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, cocaine was detected at five out of 57 wastewater treatment plants, not only in Seoul but also in Sejong. The estimated nationwide average usage per 1,000 people increased from 0.37 mg in 2020 to 1.43 mg in 2023.