This photo, taken Feb. 15, 2021, shows students at a district with many cram schools in Daechi-dong in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean authorities are convening a high-level “Council of Related Agencies Responding to Drug Crimes” on Monday to tackle the growing number of drug-related incidents, including the recent case in which beverages laced with narcotics were handed out to students at cram schools in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
The meeting, organized in response to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s order to crack down on drug crimes, will bring together 12 officials from various organizations, including the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the National Office of Investigation.
Meanwhile, investigators are homing in on the possibility that the “drug drink” case was orchestrated by a China-based voice phishing gang.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit is scrutinizing the structure of the crime and the individuals involved.
Investigators have traced the source of the methamphetamine used in the beverage to a so-called “throwing” method, which involves leaving the drug at a designated location.
Arrest warrants have been issued for two individuals involved in the incident.
Gil, who is accused of sending narcotic drinks to part-time workers in Seoul, is being charged with violating the Narcotics Control Act, while Kim, who allegedly used a repeater to change a Chinese internet phone number to a Korean cell phone number to make threatening calls to the victim’s parents, is being charged with violating the Telecommunications Business Act.
Their pretrial interrogation will take place on Monday at 3 p.m. at the Seoul Central District Court.
The police have noted that many of those arrested so far are directly or indirectly connected to Chinese voice phishing organizations, and are now tracking down intermediaries who recruited part-time workers and ordered the distribution of drugs and beverages.
President Yoon has expressed shock at the infiltration of drugs into high schools, calling on relevant agencies to respond to the issue with the international community.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
