[Drug State] ⑮Prosecution: "Control Tower Urgently Needed... Delay Could Break the Dam"

■ Chapter 4. Drug Investigations at a Turning Point

Seong Dukyung, Chief Prosecutor, Violent Crime Investigation Department, Incheon District Prosecutors' Office

Incheon, known as the "gateway to South Korea," is considered the front line in blocking narcotics. However, the investigative team guarding this area is currently facing a dilemma. From October, they will no longer be able to investigate drug-related crimes. There are calls to establish a control tower to coordinate responses to crime and to ensure that the investigative capabilities accumulated by prosecutors are passed on.

Seong Dukyung, Chief Prosecutor of the Violent Crimes Investigation Division at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (38th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), stated in an interview conducted at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, on April 29, "A control tower must be quickly established to succeed the drug investigation capabilities that the prosecution has accumulated." He added, "If this process is delayed, there could be an investigative vacuum lasting nearly a month or two. If the embankment we are barely holding bursts, the number of drug offenders could surge in a short period of time."

Seong Dukyung, Chief Prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Chief Prosecutor Seong emphasized the necessity of international cooperation to capture foreign vessels involved in drug crimes. He explained, "Under the leadership of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, we established the Asia-Pacific Information Coordination Center for Narcotic Affairs (APICC) in 2012 and brought ten Southeast Asian countries on board. We have created a system that allows investigators to be dispatched to each other for swift information exchange." He stressed that such a system should be maintained seamlessly even after investigative jurisdictions are adjusted.

He reiterated, "Drug crimes are a global issue that transcend borders. To respond to such transnational crimes, worldwide cooperation, rather than the capabilities of individual countries, is required. The prosecution needs to continue leveraging the trust and cooperation established over more than 10 years through the APICC system."

Chief Prosecutor Seong noted, "Most of the narcotics distributed domestically are smuggled from overseas, and with Incheon International Airport located here, Incheon serves as the gateway to South Korea." He particularly pointed out, "The number of smuggling offenders apprehended in Incheon has been steadily increasing, and the volume of seized narcotics is also considerable."

The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office conducts the most active international cooperative investigations on drug crimes among all district prosecutors' offices nationwide, handling 30 to 40 such cases annually. In April 2024, during a "controlled delivery" operation involving 20 kg of methamphetamine, information on the point of origin identified by a Thai liaison officer was swiftly shared with the Thai Office of Narcotics Control Board, leading to the additional seizure of 22 kg of heroin and the arrest of the sender in Thailand. Controlled delivery is a legitimate undercover technique in which, upon detecting narcotics at the entry stage, investigators alter the contents or leave the package empty and allow it to proceed to its final destination. Chief Prosecutor Seong explained, "Due to the non-face-to-face and anonymous nature of drug transactions, we frequently use special techniques such as controlled delivery."

Incheon District Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor Doo-kyung Sung (from the left), Yongseon Kim, Junhyun Hong, and Jaehun Jung are posing in front of the office before the interview. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

Regarding concerns over the surge in drug crimes and criticisms of lenient punishment, he emphasized the importance of treatment and rehabilitation. A significant number of offenders receive suspended indictments, and even if prosecuted, about half are given suspended sentences.

Chief Prosecutor Seong said, "With drugs becoming more accessible than before, offenders in their teens and twenties have increased. Many of them try drugs once or twice out of curiosity or under peer pressure and then regret it. In such cases, I believe offering opportunities for rehabilitation rather than punishment may better help their reintegration into society." He also stated, "If the will to recover is strong, conditional suspension of indictment is necessary," while adding, "We closely monitor whether obligations are met and rules are followed, and if there is no sign of commitment to rehabilitation, we impose strict punishment."

Chief Prosecutor Seong said he acutely felt that investigating drug crimes requires efforts at the pan-governmental level, not just by a single agency. He realized that cooperation and collaboration between agencies are more important than anything else. He stressed, "To ensure that the prosecution's capabilities and expertise are not wasted, a control tower—such as a dedicated government narcotics agency—is needed to consolidate the capabilities of investigative organizations. I hope legislative discussions will proceed smoothly."

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

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