Drug seizures soar 46-fold as prosecution abolition raises enforcement vacuum fears

Amid a sharp rise in drug smuggling cases, concerns are mounting that the planned abolition of the prosecutor's office in October could leave a serious gap in the country’s long-established drug investigation capacity. The volume of drugs intercepted while being smuggled into the country through maritime routes surged to 1,743 kilograms last year, up approximately 46-fold from 37 kilograms in 2021, according to Korea Coast Guard data submitted on Sunday to the office of Rep. Park Jun-tae of the main opposition People Power Party. Smuggling patterns have also shifted, from numerous small-scale attempts to fewer but significantly larger shipments. While the number of cases rose 37.1 percent — from 518 in 2021 to 710 last year — the volume per case has surged. In April 2025, authorities seized about 1.7 tons of cocaine, valued at about 845 billion won ($560 million), from a ship in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. The haul was enough to give every person in Korea more than a single dose based on a 0.03-gram standard. In addition, seizures of the psychotropic drug phenobarbital — classif

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