Symposium on "Social Rehabilitation for Drug Addiction: The First Step Toward a Healthy Korea"

Symposium Aims to Promote Understanding That Drug Addiction Is a Disease, Not a Personal Deviation
Expert Lectures and Training Sessions Highlight the Importance of Social Rehabilitation
Ministry Seeks to Shift Public Perception and Strengthen Support for Addicts

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will hold a symposium titled "Social Rehabilitation for Drug Addiction: The First Step Toward a Healthy Korea" at The May Hotel in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on August 26-27, 2025. The event aims to raise awareness about the severity of drug addiction and enhance public understanding of the importance of social rehabilitation.

This symposium consists of expert lectures to promote the perception that "drug addiction is a disease, not merely an individual’s deviation," as well as training sessions to strengthen the capabilities of social rehabilitation staff from the Korea Association Against Drug Abuse.

On the first day, August 26, invited experts will deliver lectures on the following topics: lessons from the war on drugs in the United States and Mexico; the current state of drug abuse in Korea and the effects of drugs on the brain; mechanisms of drug addiction from a clinical psychological perspective; and the appearance of drug addicts in emergency settings and response strategies in society. Anyone interested can watch the lectures, which will be streamed live on the Ministry’s YouTube channel.

On the second day, closed training sessions will be held to enhance the expertise of counselors and social rehabilitation staff working with drug addicts. Topics will include presentations of exemplary rehabilitation cases, key considerations for counseling addicts, methods for utilizing drug information resources, and staff discussions.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated, "We hope this symposium will help shift perceptions so that drug addicts are recognized as patients in need of treatment and social rehabilitation," adding, "We will continue to do our best to prevent drug abuse and support the social rehabilitation of addicts in order to create a society safe from drugs."