Gov't to launch new multiagency task force to investigate drug crimes
Published: 06 Nov. 2025, 16:31
Updated: 06 Nov. 2025, 19:30
![The picture shows the Suwon High Prosecutor's Office in Suwon, Gyeonggi. [CHOI MO-RAN]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/06/69c9f538-797a-474a-ba4b-88b2877b8625.jpg)
The picture shows the Suwon High Prosecutor's Office in Suwon, Gyeonggi. [CHOI MO-RAN]
The Korean government is set to launch a new joint investigative body for narcotics crimes later this month, bringing together at least six agencies in a coordinated crackdown as drug-related offenses grow more complex.
The new body is expected to be a multiagency task force that includes at least six agencies, including the prosecution service, police, Korea Customs Service, National Intelligence Service, the Korea Coast Guard and the Financial Intelligence Unit.
The Ministry of Justice has reportedly finalized an internal plan to establish the headquarters under the leadership of a senior-level prosecutor as drug trafficking and distribution schemes become more sophisticated and demand a unified response across intelligence, investigation and financial tracking functions.
Prosecutor Park Jae-eok, head of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, is a leading candidate to head the new unit. Park previously served as director of the narcotics division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and is known for his work on drug and organized crime cases.
The joint investigation headquarters is expected to comprise around 80 personnel. A deputy chief prosecutor and a senior police superintendent are likely to assist the director, with a superintendent-level officer overseeing day-to-day investigations.
Authorities plan to set up the headquarters inside the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office in mid-November. The location was selected in part because of its spacious facilities and the presence of an existing violent crimes division focused on drugs and organized crime. Many of the current Suwon-based prosecutors and investigators are expected to join the new team.
But with revisions to the Government Organization Act set to take effect in October 2026, which will eliminate the existing prosecutors’ offices and their direct investigative powers, the future role of prosecutors and drug investigators within the joint investigation headquarters remains uncertain.
Legal experts say the headquarters could eventually serve as a precursor to a larger agency, such as a new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency or a stand-alone drug enforcement body.
The Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office had previously pushed for a joint anti-narcotics unit early in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, but plans fell through after the Dec. 3 martial law incident.
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 SON SUNG-BAE, SUK GYEONG-MIN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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