Prosecutors indict 17 for drugs, including chaebol scions

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office announced Thursday it indicted 17 people for the alleged illegal use and supply of marijuana, including scions tied to Korea's chaebol. Included among the accused is the 40-year-old grandson of...

Shin Joon-ho, a senior-ranking prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, speaks with the press on Thursday with evidences collected from raiding homes of illegal drug use suspects. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office announced Thursday it indicted 17 people for the alleged illegal use and supply of marijuana, including scions tied to Korea's chaebol.

Included among the accused is the 40-year-old grandson of Namyang Dairy founder Hong Doo-young and the 39-year-old grandson of the founder of Koryo Steel.

They also include a singer with American citizenship.

Prosecutors say the 17 either supplied marijuana to one another or consumed the drug together.

Marijuana is illegal in Korea.

Cartridges confiscated by the prosecution from the home of one of the 17 individuals indicted by prosecutors for marijuana use. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT PROSECUTORS' OFFICE]

Prosecutors also identified three other individuals allegedly involved who are currently overseas.

“We’ve filed wanted reports to Interpol,” a prosecutor told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Thursday.

Two of the three on the run are not Korean citizens, including a 45-year-old Canadian and a 43-year-old American.

Prosecutors began investigating the case last September when police turned over to the prosecution a 39-year-old Korean suspected of dealing marijuana.

Raiding the suspect’s home that month, the prosecution tracked down four more individuals accused of buying marijuana from the suspect for resale or personal consumption.

More suspects were identified as the investigation unfolded.

The supply chain prosecutors have so far identified includes an American businessperson accused of selling marijuana to the grandson of the Namyang founder, who allegedly sold it to at least one other chaebol scion, as well as to a relative of a former high-ranking government official and a member of a family tied to a financial holding company.

Photos taken by the prosecution after raiding the home of one of the 17 individuals accused of using or supplying marijuana. [SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT PROSECUTORS' OFFICE]

Prosecutors say some of the suspects showed serious signs of addiction, accusing one suspect of growing marijuana at home with a young child in the house, and another of consuming marijuana on a trip with his pregnant wife.

“Most of them were exposed to marijuana while studying abroad and continued to consume it for years after returning to Korea, clearly demonstrating the danger and severity of drug addiction,” said the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in a statement on Thursday.

“Despite growing national concern on the increased illegal use of drugs, some descendants of founders of chaebol or middle-sized companies, children of former high-ranking officials, businessmen, students studying abroad and people in the entertainment industry have been secretly distributing and smoking marijuana through their own supply chain.”

Some of the suspects had prior histories with drug abuse, according to prosecutors.

This is not the first time that descendants of chaebol founders have been investigated for drug use in Korea.

Hwang Ha-na, the granddaughter of Namyang Dairy's founder, was sentenced last year to a year and eight months in prison for consuming methamphetamine. A grandson of Hyundai Group founder Jeong Ju-young was also arrested for drug use and given a suspended sentence in 2019.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]