Drug manufacturing crimes, which had largely disappeared in Korea since the government’s war on drugs in the 1990s, are making a troubling return. As authorities ramp up efforts to block drug smuggling at borders, criminals are increasingly turning to producing narcotics domestically. According to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on Sunday, a total of 23,022 people were arrested for drug-related offenses in 2023. While this marks a 16.6 percent decrease from the record high of 27,611 in 2022, the figure still surpasses 20,000 — a nearly 20-fold jump from the 1,190 cases reported in 1985 when drug crime statistics were first recorded. The number of drug manufacturing offenders, excluding cannabis-related cases, is on the rise. From zero in 2005, the figure climbed to four in 2010, nine in 2020, six in 2023 and 19 in 2024, the highest since statistics broken down by type of offense began in 2000. In the 1980s, South Korea had a reputation as a methamphetamine-exporting country. But tougher crackdowns eventually dismantled domestic labs. Now, with border seizures intensifying — over 1,
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