[Drug Republic]③"That? It's Already Been Stashed" - Nightlife Districts Cross the Line

■ Part 1. Drugs Have Swept Through Our Society

Young Adults Brazenly Use Synthetic Marijuana in Clubs
Drug Purchase Arranged in Three Minutes via Telegram Inquiry

"I'm smoking ○○ (liquid marijuana) right now and I'm totally high. You should try it too."

At the end of last month, at Club A, an after-hours club in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. When the reporter asked a man in his 20s, who was exhaling smoke from an e-cigarette, "Do you have ○○?", this was his response. It was 5 a.m., just as dawn was breaking. Following the pounding music, I went down to the basement. Underground, the wild night continued. After-hours clubs are known as places where drug use is frequent. 'All-night parties' are held from dawn, after regular clubs close, until the morning.

At the end of April, young men and women are dancing to music at a club located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jiye Lee

Thump-thump. The music felt like stepping into the engine room of a huge machine. Dozens of young, intoxicated men and women were dancing. Next to the man who offered liquid marijuana, another man in his 20s said, "Should I get some for you?" and took out his smartphone to send a message somewhere. When asked if he had anything else, he replied, "I do it all," and blew smoke in the reporter's face.

Before visiting major nightlife districts to check the reality of the situation, I inquired about the possibility of purchasing drugs through club MDs (marketing staff) and Telegram sellers. When I asked one Telegram dealer if it was possible to pick up (purchase) drugs near Club A in Cheongdam-dong around 2 a.m., he answered, "I've left some in Sinsa-dong." It took less than three minutes to fall into the trap, all the way to being given a virtual asset wallet address for payment.

In late April, a group of men in their 20s met at a club in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, boasting about making big money from operating illegal gambling sites. Photo by Ji-ye Lee

Around 3 a.m. at Club B in Seocho-gu, there were also several suspected cases of drug use. Warning signs stating "Drugs are illegal" and "If caught, you will be expelled and reported" were posted throughout Club B. However, inside the restroom stalls, there were rustling sounds and muffled voices of women saying things like "You're out of your mind" and "Cut it with ○○." Restrooms, except for the VIP rooms, are the most common places for drug use. Use by more than two people is prohibited.

Around the same time, there were many people in various parts of Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, who could not control their bodies. Even though the temperature had dropped below 10 degrees Celsius, many people were shirtless and sprawled on the street. When I asked a club MD with three years' experience, he said, "People mostly use drugs in the restroom, but if we're not certain, it's hard for us to call the police," and advised, "Watch out for people wearing sunglasses to hide their eyes."

In front of Club C in Itaewon, a man in his 40s staggered over and grabbed the reporter's hand. When asked if he had taken drugs, he said, "If you want to, go to the area where there are bars without signs." Behind him, a young woman was repeatedly vomiting and unable to stand, but no one offered to help or stop her.

At one time, certain types of drugs were known to be mainly distributed in different parts of Seoul's nightlife districts—ketamine in Gangnam, marijuana in Itaewon, ecstasy in Hongdae. Now, however, it appears that drugs are being used indiscriminately, regardless of location. As anonymous distribution via Telegram has spread, it has become easy to obtain a variety of drugs anywhere.

The journalists only inquired to confirm how easy it is to buy drugs and did not actually purchase any.

Special Reporting Team | Jang Heejun, Oh Jieun, Park Hosu, Lee Jiye, and Park Jaehyun

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.