South Korean Police Apprehend 5,200 Drug Offenders in Crackdown as Doctor Arrests Hit Record 395

South Korean police arrested 5,203 drug offenders between March and June, a 1.8% increase from the same period last year, with distribution arrests surging 39.2% and manufacturing and smuggling offenses up 26.7%. Among those apprehended, 1,039 were detained.

The National Office of Investigation of the Korean National Police Agency announced the results on August 2, highlighting the repatriation of Park Wangyeol, head of a drug trafficking ring in the Philippines, and his supplier Choi Byungmin as key achievements.

Of those arrested, 82.6% (4,300) were involved with psychotropic drugs such as methamphetamine, synthetic cannabis, and ketamine. Authorities also intercepted a suspect attempting to smuggle 42 kilograms of ketamine from the United Kingdom through Daegu International Airport, following intelligence sharing with the National Intelligence Service and customs cooperation. Medical narcotics like propofol remained a problem, with 337 offenders arrested for illegal activities involving such substances.

In a related trend, the number of doctors arrested for drug-related offenses reached a record 395 last year, according to data from the National Police Agency. This marks the highest figure since statistics began being separately recorded for doctors in 2023. Previously, police grouped doctors with other medical professionals, but the doctor-only count has stayed in the 300s for the past three years.

Several high-profile cases involving medical professionals have emerged. In February last year, a doctor was arrested for illegally administering propofol to over 100 patients and embezzling 4.1 billion won. In November, a doctor in Busan admitted to indiscriminately prescribing appetite suppressants containing narcotic ingredients to attract more patients. A hospital head in Gangnam was found to have habitually administered propofol to dozens, leading to his wife’s death from addiction. Another male doctor was arrested after administering propofol with a female acquaintance at his own clinic.

Last year, a total of 13,353 individuals were arrested for drug offenses. Police are planning to expand enforcement with a five-month intensive operation starting August 3, targeting online distribution and offenses by foreign nationals. They are also preparing for undercover investigations authorized by a revised Narcotics Control Act next May and are developing a social media intelligence system to monitor drug channels.