The number of drug offenders in South Korea hit a record high last year on the back of the rising use of social networking sites and the internet, the prosecution said in a report Monday.

According to the report released by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on drug use, the number of people arrested for drug-related crimes stood at 11,916 in 2015, up 19.4 percent from the previous year.

The figure has been rising gradually. It was 9,174 in 2011, 9,255 in 2012, 9,764 in 2013 and 9,984 in 2014.

From January to June this year, the number of drug offenders was 6,876, up 33 percent from the same period the year before. At this rate, the number will reach 15,000 this year, said the report. Given the country’s 51.6 million population, this would mean that South Korea can no longer be considered a drug-free nation, as the United Nations grants this status only to countries with 20 or less drug offenders out of every 100,000 people.

The prosecution seized some 82.5 kilograms of drugs in 2015, up from 72.6 kilograms in 2014.

The proportion of women arrested for drug-related crimes is also on the rise, accounting for 19.9 percent of total offenders in the first half of this year. Women made up 19.1 percent of offenders last year, according to the report.
Teenagers’ drug use was also higher and the prosecution said this was because Korean students might be more exposed to drugs through international exchange programs. Some 128 adolescents aged 19 or younger were caught last year, up 25.5 percent from the previous year.

The growth in the number of drug offenders is attributed to increased exposure and access to drugs through the internet and social media, the report pointed out.

In association with social media, 15.97 kilograms, or 20 percent, of the seized drugs were traded via express parcel or international post.

During a massive crackdown on drug dealings in June last year, some 100 people, including a doctor and teacher, were nabbed selling and buying drugs via social media.

The most common drugs trafficked into the country was methamphetamine at 56.6 kilograms, followed by marijuana at 24 kilograms, according to the report, with a notable increase in transactions of propofol and zolpidem.

Overseas suppliers of drugs have also grown including those from China, Japan, Mexico and Southeastern Asian countries such as Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines, the prosecution said.

The prosecution tightened its clampdown on drug trafficking in partnership with the police in April. It closed down 202 websites from June 2014 to this month and ordered the deletion of some 1,377 postings related to drug transactions.

It plans to adopt a program later this year that can automatically detect drug-related posts online to help their investigation.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heradcorp.com)