National crackdown on drugs to run through October

The government will launch a three-month special crackdown on drugs this weekend, with a focus on foreign smuggling, drug use at bars and clubs and the illegal circulation of medical-purpose drugs such as ketamine, officials said Friday.

The crackdown will be carried out from Saturday to Oct. 31 in cooperation with police and other related agencies. The period was set considering a potential rise in drug use due to the summer vacation season, Chuseok and Halloween, the Prime Minister's Secretariat said.

“More than 20,000 drug offenders are caught every year, and those in their 20s and 30s account for about 60 percent of them,” the office said in a statement. “Concerns are serious about drugs spreading to young generations.”

In light of a big jump in ketamine smuggling from abroad, the government will step up crackdowns on its online distribution, use at nightlife facilities and illegal handling by medical institutions, officials said.

The amount of ketamine confiscated by authorities rose from 44 kilograms (97 pounds) in 2023 to 89 kilograms in 2024 and to 141 kilograms last year.

Yonhap