The year 2023 has marked both the beginning and end with drug scandals surrounding celebrities in South Korea.

Despite Korea being less prone to drugs compared to other countries like America, where 46.3 million people are diagnosed with drug use disorder, the growing number of people abusing drugs shows that Korea is no more a “drug-free nation.”

Although it is urgent to detect drug abusers, controversy has arisen with the accusation of “innocent” scapegoats, purposely accused to veil internal problems inside the government.

The first to kick off the doors for the scandals this year was Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, who was arrested in February for his habitual use of illegal drugs, including Propofol, Midazolam, Ketamin, and Remimazolam.

He was also charged with identity fraud, as he allegedly used other people’s names to illegally purchase 1,100 sleeping pills from May to August of 2021, and coerced others to join him in taking the narcotics during January of this year.

However, the prosecution has been facing challenges substantiating allegations related to Yoo’s suspected use of cocaine, as two arrest warrants have been rejected.

In fact, the cocaine charges against Yoo Ah-in were omitted from his indictment, and even though cocaine was detected from his hair samples, the prosecution has failed to secure evidence on when, with whom, and how the substances were injected.

Shocked by the scandal involving one of the most loved and prominent actors in Korea, the interest of the Korean public skyrocketed towards the issue of drug scandals.

Yoo’s next trial has been scheduled for January 23, 2024.

Actor Lee Sun-kyun found himself embroiled in a drug scandal last october.

While the police were inspecting red-light districts in Gangnam for drug-related activities, they discovered allegations of drug use involving actor Lee Sun-kyun.

Lee has been charged for allegedly consuming marijuana and other drugs at the residence of Ms. A, the manager of an entertainment venue in Gangnam, since early this year.

Faced with persistent threats and extortions from Ms. A, Lee Sun-kyun reluctantly transferred 350 million won, later filing a complaint with law enforcement.

It was later found that Ms. A, with a record of six previous convictions relating to drug offenses, was the one who first informed the police about Lee’s drug abuse while they were just starting to look into the investigation on celebrity drug scandals.

She claimed that the actor had visited her house and engaged in drug use on at least five occassions.

Lee was first summoned by the police on October 28th.

On his first appearance to the public, he expressed sincere apologies, saying, "I genuinely apologize for causing disappointment to many due to this unfortunate incident."

On the same day, he received a negative result in a urine test and returned home within an hour.

Additionally, Lee also received negative results from the National Forensic Service, which involved collecting hair samples.

Moreover, after the police checked Ms. A’s text messages with her friend, in which she shared a picture of Korean pop star G–Dragon visiting the entertainment venue, along with messages like “He tried to ban photos, but I took it secretly” and “I hung out XX with GD,'' they put GD under investigation, summoning him on October 25th.

However, like Lee Sun-kyun, Gd has tested negative for all tests, claiming that he is innocent.

As a result, there was great public criticism towards the police for conducting an overly aggressive investigation solely based on Ms. A's statement, emphasizing that the mention of G-dragon and Lee Sun-kyun's real names without concrete evidence had left an unerasable stain on their reputation and a wound to their family.

In addition, more and more people supporting the two celebrities emerged, calling them two innocent scapegoats for government corruption.

Although GD was successful in his vindication, unfortunately, on December 27, 2023, it was reported that Lee Sun-kyun committed suicide in his car, unable to bear the weight of the rumors, relentless media attention, and guilt he felt for his family.

His death brought to the surface the impact of media sensationalism and the need for a more cautious approach in high-profile investigations.

Chloe Yoon 

Grade 10

Seoul International School