‘Parasite’ star’s death highlights South Korea’s crackdown on drugs

Lee Sun-kyun, the “Parasite” actor found dead on Wednesday, was far from the only celebrity involved in South Korea’s latest anti-drug crackdown.

Yoo Ah-in, the actor known for his roles in the 2018 film “Burning” and the 2021 Netflix series “Hellbound,” is facing trial after testing positive for propofol, marijuana, ketamine and cocaine, officials say . Several South Korean retailers have cut ties with the actor since the drug allegations became public. He is no longer listed as a cast member for the second season of “Hellbound.”

G-Dragon, the rapper and former member of K-pop boy group BigBang, was under investigation for possible drug use until police dropped the case earlier this month after he tested negative on several drug tests. Nevertheless, BMW Korea removed images of him from its online advertisements.

The recent allegations against high-profile entertainers here have highlighted the continuation of strict anti-drug policies and attitudes in South Korea that have drawn a hard line against anything short of total abstinence from drug use.

Some officials see this toughness as crucial to controlling drug use. But the policy has also been criticized by treatment experts who say authorities focus too much on punishment rather than rehabilitation.

“If you look at the data and the harsh penalties that have been in place for decades, they haven’t worked,” said Gloria Lai, regional director of the International Drug Policy Consortium, an organization that promotes evidence-based drugs. drug policies around the world. “And the cost in human lives is enormous.”

Since Mr. Lee’s death, police in Incheon, a city west of Seoul, who had questioned him on suspicion of using marijuana and ketamine, have been criticized for their treatment of Mr. Lee during the investigation, saying that it was disproportionate to the severity. of the accusations against him.

Seongcheol Park, Mr Lee’s lawyer, denied the drug charges and accused police of breaking rules on public release of information. He said Mr Lee had tested negative on multiple drug tests.

Mr Park added that police had intensively investigated allegations that Mr Lee had used drugs, but had not taken seriously enough his claim that he had been the target of blackmail.

“The trial was insulting and humiliating to him, even though there was no evidence that he had used drugs,” Mr. Park said in a telephone interview. “While it is true that drug research is necessary, it is a problem when they go too far and do not follow procedures and protocols.”

Kim Hui-jung, Incheon’s police chief, defended the investigation at a news conference on Thursday. He said his office had acted appropriately and legally, “based on specific statements and evidence from informants.”

South Korea’s tough stance on drugs is consistent with some other countries in Asia. A drug conviction can be punishable by death in China and Singapore. Japan and Taiwan have also maintained a minimum tolerance for drug use. Governments in Japan and Singapore have publicly spoken out against a strategy called harm reduction that has become increasingly prominent in Western countries, Ms. Lai said.

“A harm reduction approach is controversial,” she said, “because you’re essentially saying that even if someone continues to use drugs, you still believe they deserve to be treated with care and have access to health care.”

South Korea stands out from countries like the United States, Canada and some in Europe, which view drug use as a public health issue rather than just a criminal matter.

Still, South Korea’s drug policies, combined with its geographic isolation, have helped keep drug use low, experts say.

But reports of drug trafficking and use have soared in recent years, although experts say it is difficult to obtain accurate data on drugs in South Korea due to stigma and fear of jail time. According to official data, drug-related arrests, including for their consumption and sale, have increased this year to more than 17,000 from around 10,400 in 2019. Among them, teens were the age group with the biggest growth, increasing sixfold from 160 to 1,000 arrests. It is unclear whether this increase in arrests represents an actual spike in drug use, or whether increased enforcement is playing an outsized role.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and officials in his politically conservative government declared a “war on drugs” after taking office in 2022, warning that drugs were becoming more accessible across the country. Celebrities have also led ‘just say no’ campaigns on social media. Some talk shows have entire episodes devoted to anti-drug programs.

The country’s latest crackdown and the rhetoric of Mr. Yoon and officials in his administration reflect the “war on drugs” of the 1970s and 1980s in the United States, said Hyeouk Chris Hahm, a professor at the Boston University School of Social Sciences work.

“Cracking down with these harsh penalties and unreasonably long prison sentences will not be effective” in reducing drug use and overdose deaths, Professor Hahm said. “And we know that from US history”

South Koreans can even be prosecuted for drug use abroad when they return home. Once convicted of using illegal drugs, a person may be required to complete a mandatory education program set by the Justice Department or be jailed, said Yoon Hyunjun, a drug policy expert at Sogang University in Seoul.

a prison sentence can range from six months to four years depending on the type of drug. The penalty for human trafficking can be up to fourteen years.

Drug treatment experts say the country’s approach is too narrowly focused on punishment. The mandatory education program that offenders undergo is not sufficiently individualized to each person’s needs and does not provide a sustainable plan to overcome addiction, Ms. Yoon said. Although the government has called for more rehab facilities for drug users, they are still far fewer than those for alcoholics.

“In our country, drug rehabilitation is less often seen as an attempt to overcome addiction than as a punishment,” Ms. Yoon said. “People’s mentality is strictly focused on punishment.”

But public policy experts warned that tackling drug use alone in a punitive manner will fall short of reducing drug use, addictions and overdose deaths.

“It has to go hand in hand with education, changing culture and good addiction treatment infrastructure,” said Jimi Huh, a professor of public health at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. “You can’t get away with just pursuing a punitive policy.”