Drug use in Korea

In most countries drug use is part of a subculture, a minority of people who knowingly and willingly flaunt the laws. In Korea that drug culture is such a minority that most Koreans I know consider Marijuana to be right up there with crack cocaine, they think that smoking a joint will lead to robbery, fighting and rape, (sounds more like excessive Soju to me) as opposed to the binge eating and sleeping that are more likely. This sort of misunderstanding is magnified by newspaper coverage of drug busts and crimes, journalist here take a great joy in telling their audience just how depraved these foreign drug-fiends are, while glossing over the fact that they had a Korean supplier.

Penalties for drug use here can be quite strict, certainly by my home countries standards, but still fall way shy of Indonesia’s “kill the carrier” attitude. Even so there seems to be no end to the number of deadshits who are happy to keep feeding their addiction. You can thank these idiots for the inevitable, “so have you ever done drugs?” that emerges once you get to know the natives.

What really gets me is that folk must come here with some inkling of the state of things, yet they continue to take such foolish risks, and further sully the already clouded reputation of foreigners in this country. I’m sorry guys, but if you are unwilling to take just a few months off your drug of choice then you’re either addicted (in which case you have my heartfelt sympathies) or you’re freakin stupid (in which case you should not be allowed to breed). Do us all a favour; stay clean for your contract and then head over to Bali to melt your brain cells for a month or two.

For Korea’s drug policy click here.