War on drugs

Children of chaebol families under probe for narcotics use

South Korea is no longer a drug-free country. The number of drug offenders sharply increased to 12,613 last year from 9,174 in 2011, according to the prosecution. Police also said a nationwide crackdown on drug users and traffickers over the past month yielded 523 arrests.

Police seized 517.2kg of narcotics last year, compared with 162.2kg in 2014. The country, which had been a distribution channel for drugs, is said to be turning into a major consumer with drug prices becoming increasingly expensive in many parts of the world.

However, criminal punishment of drug offenders is rather lenient, compared to other countries. Furthermore, customs inspections here are not strict enough, encouraging drug smugglers to choose the nation as a stronghold, according to related authorities.

In particular, the spreading drug use by the scions of owner families of conglomerates, or chaebol, has appeared to be serious enough to ring an alarm bell after police announced that they had booked a number of third-generation offspring of chaebol founders on suspicion of buying and using drugs such as marijuana.

For instance, a grandson of SK Group founder Choi Jonggun was arrested Monday on suspicion of having bought liquid marijuana on 15 occasions and consuming it between March and May last year. A grandson of Hyundai Group founder Chung Juyung was also booked for the same crime.

The shocking scandal involving K-pop star Seungri and his nightclub Burning Sun testifies to the growing drug trade and addiction among young people from rich families. The use of the so-called GHB (gamma hydroxybutyric) for alleged rapes at the club, shows the seriousness of the situation.

The evils of drugs cannot be overemphasized. Before it is too late, all the related authorities should closely work together to crack down on drugs. Laws should also be revised to strengthen punishment of drug users. Now is the time for the whole country to join in on a war on drugs.