South Korea Discovers One Tonne Suspected Cocaine Board Ship 2025 04 02
ReutersMAR 30
Record 2-Ton Cocaine Bust Worth $680M Takes Place at South Korean Port
Above: Police officers stand next to a barrier near the Constitutional Court in Seoul on April 3, 2025. Image copyright: Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
This unprecedented seizure, which secured two tons of cocaine before it could even be unloaded in South Korea, proves the efficacy of Seoul's tough stance on narcotics, as well as its recent emphasis on global cooperation and securing the country's borders. With the support of the FBI, South Korea successfully tracked the illegal shipment and will continue to investigate the foreign origins of these drugs.
Opposition narrative
The notion that drug issues facing South Korea could be addressed solely through border security is a blatant mistruth. A broad variety of factors, from toxic competitiveness and expectation among South Korea's younger generation to lax regulation in the pharmaceutical industry, mean drug use and abuse in the country is on the up. Draconian attitudes towards emerging problems have only served to worsen the problem. Seoul must reform and address the route domestic issues fueling an expanding drug problem within its borders.