In a press release from the Ministry of Justice in October, a ‘drug free country’ appeared
Less than 10,000 drug offenders in 2014… 18,000 in 2020
Official basis for the concept of a ‘drug free country’ Contact the Ministry of Justice
Academic paper ‘Drug crime coefficient 20’ used as a criterion
<!– –>
[앵커]
In a meeting on national affairs held the other day (15th), President Seok-Yeol Yoon and Justice Minister Han Dong-Hoon emphasized that Korea is no longer a ‘drug-free country’.
It is an expression that has recently appeared in the Ministry of Justice’s press release and is often seen through the media. The reporter Shinho investigated what kind of concept the ‘drug-free country’ is and of where did he come from
[기자]
President Yoon Seok-yeol and Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon used the concept of a ‘drug-free country’ while emphasizing the ‘war on drugs’.
[윤석열 / 대통령 (지난 15일 국정과제 점검회의) : 약 10여 년 전에는 우리나라가 ‘마약 청정국’이라고 했습니다.]
[한동훈 / 법무부장관 (지난 15일 국정과제 점검회의) : 2015년 이후부터는 우리나라는 더이상 ‘마약 청정국’이 아닙니다.]
This concept of a ‘drug free country’ also appears in a press release from the Ministry of Justice two months ago.
A country with 20 drug offenders per 100,000 population per year, and a country with less than 10,000 people based on a population of 50 million is called a ‘drug free country’, but as Korea already exceeded 10,000 people, it has been expressed that it has lost its status.
The phrase in the press release of the President, the Minister for Justice and the Ministry of Justice is read to mean that the number of drug offenders has been more than 10,000.
The Office of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Drug Crime White Paper 2021, released in May this year, also considers 10,000 people an important criterion.
It was below 10,000 until 2014, but was more than 10,000 from 2015, rose to 18,000 in 2020, and then fell by around 10% last year.
There was no such phrase as a ‘drug-free country’.
I then asked the Ministry of Justice where the concept of a ‘drug-free country’ or ‘drug-free country status’ came from.
It is used because it is a common expression in many academic papers, but it is explained that there is no officially recommended standard by international organisations.
According to data published in 2014 by the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office and the Korean Criminal Policy Institute, ‘The World Drug Report published by the United Nations does not mention the concept or status of a ‘drug-free country’. says ‘see’.
[박성수 / 세명대 경찰학과 교수 : 마약으로부터 안전한 지역이라는 표현이 과도하게 표현되다 보니까 일반화되고 그렇게 사용하게 된 용어입니다. 그렇기 때문에 마약 청정국가라는 것은 공식적으로 사용하는 용어는 아닙니다.]
In conclusion, it is true that the number of drug offenders is on the rise and is well over 10,000, but the concept of a ‘drug free country’ is an expression whose basis or source is uncertain.
Looking at academic papers, a drug crime coefficient of 20 is applied in the sense that the level of risk is higher than 20 drug criminals per 100,000 of the population.
It is a YTN signal.
YTN Signal (sino@ytn.co.kr)
YTN Yeom Da-yeon (ydy1213@naver.com)
Cinematographer: Lee Soo-hyun
Graphics: Eunseon Lee
※ ‘Your report becomes news’
[카카오톡] Search YTN and add a channel
[전화] 02-398-8585
[메일] social@ytn.co.kr
[저작권자(c) YTN 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
