South Korea sees surge in online drug trafficking cases, most found on X

SEOUL, October 05 (AJP) - The number of online drug trafficking cases referred to police by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has risen to its highest level in five years, with most illegal activity detected on X, formerly known as Twitter.

According to data released by Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Mi-hwa on October 5, the MFDS reported 85 cases of online narcotics trafficking to investigative agencies between January and August this year. That figure marks a sharp rise from zero cases in 2023 and nearly doubles the total number of 45 cases reported over the past five years combined.

The ministry said it referred posts involving the sale or promotion of narcotics, psychotropic substances, cannabis, and controlled drugs. While officials detected nearly 50,000 illegal narcotics posts last year, none were sent to police at the time, drawing criticism from the National Assembly. This year, the MFDS said it has worked more closely with law enforcement to address the issue.

"There was criticism that no cases were referred last year, so this year we have made active efforts to work closely with investigative agencies," an MFDS official explained.

From January to August, the ministry detected 31,894 online posts related to narcotics trafficking, slightly fewer than last year, but the number of referrals has increased sharply.

Social media accounted for 22.3 percent of those detections, or 7,103 posts. Among them, 85.8 percent—more than 6,000 posts—were found on X. Facebook had 28 cases, YouTube had two, and Instagram had none.

The data means nearly nine out of ten illegal narcotics posts appeared on X, which is owned by Elon Musk. Lawmakers say the platform’s anonymity and loose content oversight have turned it into the primary channel for drug promotion and transactions in South Korea.

"Recently, the promotion and distribution of narcotics through social media have become alarmingly easy, posing a serious threat to public safety," Seo said. "The government must expand its monitoring workforce and budget to systematically block illegal online drug distribution."

Officials and experts have warned that online drug trafficking has expanded rapidly in South Korea, moving from private messaging apps to public social networks. Authorities say the trend has blurred the line between domestic and international operations, pushing regulators and police to strengthen cooperation in line with broader anti-narcotics efforts involving the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com