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Former Kosdaq company exec gets prison time for doing speed with female university student

Published: 11 Sep. 2025, 13:48

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

A former executive of a Kosdaq-listed company was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on Wednesday for habitual drug use, including taking methamphetamine with a female university student.

The Seoul Southern District Court also ordered him to forfeit 600,000 won ($430) and complete 80 hours of a drug addiction rehabilitation program.

“The defendant committed the crimes during a suspended sentence for the same type of offense, so a stern punishment is unavoidable,” the court said. “The court considered how often he took drugs, as well as the circumstances and duration of the crime, and determined that the conduct was serious."

The court added that the defendant "largely confessed, expressed remorse, actively disclosed their crimes to investigators, and provided information about an accomplice.”

The former executive habitually used drugs, including taking methamphetamine with a female student in her 20s in July last year, according to the investigation.

He also drove 13 kilometers (8 miles) along Seoul's Han River in an imported luxury car while high.

During the investigation, the suspect tried to flee to the United States, ostensibly for a business trip, but prosecutors issued a travel ban and detained him.

The former executive was given a suspended sentence in 2020 for smuggling drugs from Thailand and other drug-related offenses.

Methamphetamine often leads to severe addiction and can damage the brain, heart and other organs.

Investigators uncovered the case while probing a larger narcotics ring tied to a multicampus club made up mainly of university students in the greater Seoul area.

After the club’s president was arrested and the supply line dried up, the female student obtained drugs from the former executive and used them together, the investigation found.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]