Today,countries around the world are makingconstant efforts including declaring and waging a‘war on drugs’to battle against illicit drugs thatdestroy our mind and body.However,international drug organizations arefurther strengthening their connectivity andexpanding their network amid the growingintegration of global communities,underminingthe international drug enforcement efforts.Against this backdrop,Korea has been extending all-out efforts to crack down on narcotic drugs that aredetrimental to public health,and as a result,gainedthe international reputation of a ‘drug-free country’.However,we are not completely safe from narcot-ic drugs.For many international drug syndicatesused Korea as a transit country last year,and thistrend is expected to continue and accelerate in the years to come.Moreover,considering that most narcotic drugs traded within thecountry are smuggled from overseas,we can hardly overemphasizethe importance of perfect customs control over narcotic drugs at theborders.In this respect,Korea Customs Service is working closely withdomestic and foreign drug enforcement agencies for informationsharing and investigative cooperation,and making every possibleeffort to prevent illicit drugs from entering the borders.We hope that this annual publication,by reporting recent drugtrafficking trends and major seizure cases in Korea,will give betterunderstanding of our enforcement efforts to relevant agencies athome and abroad and help the global anti-drug efforts. June 2009
Yongsuk Hur
CommissionerKorea Customs Service
PREFACE
Combat against Drug Smuggling in Korea 2009