The recent drug trafficking in the club Burning Sun, Gangnam District, Seoul, alarmed high officials of the government. The 9 ministers, therefore, gathered their strength to carry out a joint crackdown. They announced to focus on trafficking on/off line including SNS, introducing 5 times more detecting equipment, doing regular check-up and imposing tougher punishments. A multi-departmental joint inspection is scheduled in April this year with minute search and confiscation. 

Korea is no longer narcotics-free
“The Narcotics Control Act defines narcotics, psychotomimetic agent and hemp as narcotics. Opium, morphine, heroin and pain killer are included in the category” said Sung Gyu-han, CEO of the International Summit Drug Healing Center. Sung went through drug rehabilitation and obtained a degree in drug addiction and rehabilitation at Wonkwang Digital University. He currently is taking a master’s course in drugs at Hansung University. He said that there are around 400 kinds of narcotics in Korea and new narcotics such as JWH-018 was added every year. 

He pointed out that Korea is no longer narcotics-free. Back in the days, narcotics were circulated around clubs but people including students and housewives get hold of them easily on SNS today. “The narcotics circulate from drug traffickers overseas to normal people in Korea through internet sites in addition to the traditional trafficking through airports and ports. So we need to carry out multidirectional inspections.”

Prevention and rehabilitation
In his school years, he was drawn into taking philpon with his friends and passed in and out of prison. “I lost my whole youth to drugs and prison. I only realized the conception of ‘drug addict’ and ‘rehabilitation’ when I was in the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry in Gongju City. Discharged from the institute, I was very determined not to do it ever again but help the addicts like me instead.” 

Sung formed a meeting called ‘Busan Drug Rehabilitation Na’ to help and train drug addicts. Since then he has actively engaged in lectures on drug prevention and rehabilitation in various organizations by making the most of his experience and knowledge. Now, his lecture is as famous in 13 overseas countries as in Korea including Taiwan, Thailand, China and the Philippines. “Many drug addicts are suffering from depression and commit suicide as a result at the worst case. I’m sure they want to get rid of it but it is hard once addicted. That’s why they need help. Not just help but systematic help. So it is my job to make the most of my experience to save them from the addiction.”

Meanwhile, the International Summit Drug Healing Center has been running training programs at the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry in Gongju City since 2014. “It is said that the three big problems for the UN to solve are terrorism, youth issues and drug addiction. It is also reported that around 30% of people in North Korea have experienced a narcotic called ‘bingdu’. The fight against drugs cannot be achieved by a few groups or organizations but national and international level supports and actions are needed. And the International Summit Drug Healing Center will take part in this.”