South Korea’s Jeju Island Faces Rising Tide of Illicit Drugs

Published: 13 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Since September, residents on South Korea’s Jeju Island have been spotting small packs that appeared to be bags of Chinese tea washing ashore. Upon closer inspection, they were found to contain ketamine.

Police report that some 28kg (62 lbs) of the drug, wrapped in foil and labeled with the Chinese character for tea, have been found on at least eight separate occasions. Ketamine is used medically as an anaesthetic, but recreational use is illegal in South Korea and can cause severe physical and mental harm, including damage to the heart and lungs.

The Jeju Coast Guard has formed a special team to trace possible sea and land routes through which the drugs may have entered the country. Authorities have also warned residents not to touch or open suspicious objects, urging them to report any discoveries to police.

On 15 October, a beach cleaner discovered 20kg of these “tea bag drugs” along the southern coast of Seogwipo—the largest haul in the past two months. Earlier this week, more than 800 soldiers, police officers, and civilian volunteers combed beaches along Jeju City’s northern coast to search for more contraband.

Investigators are now exploring the possibility that the drugs drifted to Jeju via ocean currents. The head of the Coast Guard’s narcotics unit noted that similar “tea bag drugs” have also been found in Pohang, South Korea, and Tsushima Island, Japan.

Local residents have expressed concern over the presence of illicit drugs along the coastline. Kim, a Jeju resident, said, “I often bring my children to this beach. Seeing so many people looking for drugs is terrifying. I shudder to think that children might touch something like that.” Another resident, Hyun, urged authorities to focus on “stopping more [drugs] from drifting in.”

Experts suggest that organized crime syndicates may be behind the shipments. Yoon Heung-hee, a professor at Hansung University’s drug and alcohol addiction department, said some syndicates use a “sea bump” method, dropping bundles of narcotics into the ocean with trackers for later retrieval. He added that criminal groups could exploit lax inspections at airports and ports to smuggle drugs across South Korea via Jeju.

The incidents have heightened vigilance among law enforcement and local communities, raising questions about security and the methods used by criminal organizations to transport illicit drugs internationally.