This undated file photo shows drugs seized by police. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Drug offenders in South Korea are rapidly increasing their presence on social media and other online platforms, data showed Monday.
Approximately 25 percent (3,092) of the 12,387 individuals caught in illegal drug cases last year sold drugs on the internet, according to the National Police Agency data submitted to Rep. Chung Woo-taik of the People Power Party.
The number of online drug dealers has more than doubled compared to 2018, with 18.7 percent (1,516) of the 8,107 drug offenders selling drugs online back then.
Among the drug criminals arrested last year, 8.9 percent (1,097) used the dark web or virtual assets to sell drugs.
The use of the dark web and virtual assets for drug-related crimes has increased significantly over the past few years.
In 2018 and 2019, only 85 and 82 individuals, respectively, were rounded up for drug-related crimes that used the dark web and virtual assets.
However, the numbers spiked to 748 in 2020, 832 in 2021, and 1,097 last year.
Teenagers, who are more familiar with social media, were also apprehended for illicit drug trading, with a total of 294 apprehended last year, which is more than triple the number in 2018.
As of March this year, 120 juvenile drug dealers had already been apprehended.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
