North Korean leaders frame drug-related offenses as “fearsome self-destructive acts” that threaten the nation’s socialist foundation, insisting residents confront them through economic and ideological engagement.
Prosecutor’s Stark Warning
A senior prosecutor from the South Pyongan Province branch stated that drug crimes, alongside currency smuggling, illegal trading, counterfeit goods production, and violent offenses, qualify as unlimited self-destructive behaviors. This position appears in a June 2025 Workers’ Party theoretical publication.
The official declared, “The struggle against anti-socialist and non-socialist acts encompasses socialism’s future and the people’s destiny.” He stressed full participation in these confrontations as essential.
Risks of Neglect
Neglecting such crimes by treating them as unavoidable undermines public welfare, the prosecutor warned. “Operating these acts as something that must exist, or ignoring them as inevitable, directly jeopardizes people’s destinies,” he added.
A May 2025 party directive echoes this, cautioning that drug use, smuggling, and similar risky behaviors turn individuals into counter-revolutionaries opposing the regime and socialist order.
Prevalent Drug Challenges
Drug trafficking and consumption have entrenched themselves in North Korean society. Recent unified intelligence assessments reveal widespread addiction among youth to diverted medicines and homemade narcotics.
Officials urge grassroots party members to propagate leadership directives on drug suppression fully, signaling rising internal concerns despite external operations.
Escalating Penalties
North Korea strengthens drug enforcement through exemplary severe sentencing. In 2021, authorities enacted a special Drug Crime Prevention Law, enabling maximum punishments—including execution—for four core violations: illegal manufacturing, smuggling, trading, and related activities.
