[Anchor]

It has been 200 days since the government declared an all-out war on drug crimes. Due to intensive crackdowns by the joint investigation headquarters, over 23,000 people were apprehended last year alone, and the volume of online drug transactions and drugs smuggled from overseas both reached record highs. The problem is that, despite these achievements, the recidivism rate—the rate at which those arrested return to drug use—is steadily rising. Furthermore, those in their teens, 20s, and 30s account for over 60% of first-time drug offenders. Today (July 7) and tomorrow, SBS will take an in-depth look at the reality of punishment, treatment, and rehabilitation for drug offenders.

Reporters Je Hui-won and Lee Se-hyun have the story.

[Reporter Je Hui-won]

A, a fashion designer in their 30s.

Three years ago, they were caught using the synthetic drug 'Ecstasy' at a club with friends and were detained in a detention center for 10 months.

Although they vowed never to touch drugs again, the reality of life in detention was not what they had expected.

It was a daily occurrence for inmates to share information on drug dealers or encourage each other to use other drugs.

[A / Detained after drug use: I lived with repeat offenders and drug dealers. They would say, 'Let's do drugs when we get out,' or 'You can easily get them here.' They would even share the thrilling experiences they had while using drugs.]

While there are internal guidelines to separate first-time offenders from repeat offenders, and users from dealers, many correctional facilities are already over capacity, so in practice, they are only separated from the general inmate population.

[A / Detained after drug use: It is a huge temptation. Even after serving my time and getting out, I know there is a way to easily obtain drugs again.]

After overcoming the various temptations within the detention center, A dedicated themselves to 40 hours of rehabilitation training after release and learned how to fight addiction on their own by reading books.

However, cases like A, who continue to abstain from drugs after release, are rare.

The recidivism rate for drug offenders, which was below 50% three years ago, has steadily increased, reaching 51.9% in 2024 and 56.5% as of May this year.

Nearly 6 out of 10 people have returned to drug use.

Experts attribute this to the fact that while drugs have become easier to access than before, there are not enough places to help break the cycle of addiction.

[Ahn Jun-hyung / Lawyer specializing in drug cases: I understand that the targets of the war (on drugs) are dealers or producers, but (users) are patients with dependency who have medical diagnosis codes. Because there is no support and only punishment, the numbers just do not go down.]

While some people manage to commit to a new life on their own after passing through a long tunnel, it is difficult for addicts to break free from the shackles of addiction on their own strength.

One in two drug offenders has returned to drug use, and it is rare for people to succeed in long-term abstinence.

[Reporter Lee Se-hyun]

For drug addiction, the treatment and recovery process is just as important as punishment.

That is why a 'bridge to recovery' is necessary.

We visited institutions that help these individuals recover, from addiction back to daily life.

'DARC,' a living community for drug addicts, is a private facility that helps with abstinence and social reintegration.

It is a place where those who could not break their addiction through counseling or medication alone can focus solely on recovery while understanding and supporting each other.

[DARC Center Resident: Being able to talk about my story was the most helpful thing for (staying clean). We also had bibliotherapy, art therapy, and drama therapy.]

Although they receive some government subsidies, each resident pays 700,000 won per month.

Through career counseling, including obtaining certifications, and vocational rehabilitation, they prepare to return to society, shedding the stigma of being a drug addict.

[Choi Jin-mook / Director of Incheon DARC Center: The government should have prepared for social rehabilitation after incarceration, but the government was a bit late. So, the private sector started it first...]

DARC, which began in Japan in 1985, was introduced in Korea in 2012 and once expanded to five locations, but due to financial problems and opposition from local residents, only two remain today.

While drug addiction is increasing, the number of places helping with rehabilitation and social reintegration after criminal punishment is decreasing.

Rehabilitation programs led by state agencies are often evaluated as being in their infancy.

The number of participants in the 'Recovery Connection Program,' which helps with rehabilitation within prisons, is expected to be 230 this year, which is only 3% of the drug offenders incarcerated last year.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's 'Together Step Center' began opening 8 years ago and has now expanded to 17 locations nationwide, but they mainly handle mandatory education following criminal punishment, and it is difficult to find programs that help with social reintegration, such as vocational rehabilitation.

[Choi Jin-mook / Director of Incheon DARC Center: Social rehabilitation is not just a process of quitting drugs. It is a time to prepare for what kind of work to do and how to live.]

It is time for the government to think more about what comes after crackdowns and punishment so that drug addiction recovery and rehabilitation are not left to individual willpower, and so that these individuals do not return to drugs.

Reported by Kim Seung-tae and Yang Ji-hoon | Video by Choi Hye-young and Yoon Tae-ho | Graphics by Seo Seung-hyun and Hwang Se-yeon | VJ by Kim Hyung-jin | Video courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Korea DARC Association