After Eating Candy, "Unusual Symptoms"... "He's Giving Out Drugs in a Mascot Costume": Drug Scare in Hongdae on Halloween

Drug suspicions after man in mascot costume hands out candy
Police tests find no drugs
A Halloween scare fueled by drug fears

A man who was handing out candy to people on a street in Seoul's Hongdae district on Halloween was investigated by police over suspicions that he was distributing candy containing drugs. However, tests found no drug substances in the candy, and police concluded that there was no evidence of a crime. The incident has been described as a sobering example of how the "fear of drugs" has seeped into everyday life, as unverified claims spread rapidly on social media.

Barricades are set up on a crowded street in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the evening of Oct. 31, Halloween Day. Yonhap News

Suspicion falls on man in mascot costume... Online speculation explodes after police arrive

According to police on Nov. 2, the incident began on the evening of Oct. 31, Halloween, on a street in Hongdae, Mapo-gu, Seoul. A man wearing a costume of Duolingo's green character, from the popular foreign-language learning app, was handing out candy and jelly sweets to passersby. Some people who saw him raised concerns that the treats might contain drugs and reported him to police.

After receiving the report, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul sent officers to the scene to verify the man's identity and examine the contents of the candy. During this process, a photo of the man walking with police officers was taken and spread on social media, drawing further attention.

Unverified claims soon followed, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). One user posted a photo of the man, claiming that he had been caught by police while handing out candy suspected of containing drugs and that many people had experienced unusual symptoms after eating it. The post garnered more than 2.7 million views and was shared over 7,800 times. Other claims also surfaced, including that there were holes in the candy wrappers and that people felt dizzy after eating the candy.

However, police tests found no drug substances in the candy or jelly sweets the man had distributed. Police ultimately concluded that there was no evidence of a crime by the man and closed the case as a misunderstanding and false alarm.

A "drug trauma" taking hold across society

The incident also came amid heightened public concern about drug crimes. In particular, the fact that food was handed out to unidentified members of the public brought to mind the 2023 drug-laced drink incident in the Daechi-dong academy district of Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

At the time, a group deceived students by telling them the drink would help improve their concentration, then gave them drinks mixed with methamphetamine. Thirteen students received the drinks, and investigators found that nine of them actually consumed them. The group later demanded money from the students' parents, threatening to report their children for drug use. Those involved received heavy sentences, including an 18-year prison term for the person who made the drug-laced drinks.

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