Record Number of Physicians Imprisoned for Narcotics Crimes
Recent investigation data reveals that 395 doctors faced imprisonment for marijuana-related offenses last year, marking the highest figure on record. This surge underscores a troubling trend among medical professionals involved in narcotics violations.
Shift in Classification and Rising Numbers
Statistics previously grouped doctors and nurses with general ‘drug users’ in marijuana crime tallies until 2022. Starting in 2023, authorities began tracking medical personnel separately. While ‘drug user’ cases linked to marijuana hovered around 200 annually—186 in 2020, 212 in 2021, and 186 in 2022—imprisoned doctors reached 323 in 2023 and climbed to 337 in 2024, exceeding 300 for three consecutive years.
Overall, narcotics offenders totaled 13,353 last year, with self-employed individuals accounting for 6,262, nearly half. Other categories included manual laborers and skilled workers at 1,582, lodging and miscellaneous services at 1,454, other professionals and managers at 552, office workers at 469, and students at 468. Housewives numbered 122, cultural and arts figures 59, public servants 33, and teachers 6.
Why Medical Professionals Are Vulnerable
Doctors handling propofol and similar substances directly at workplaces face heightened exposure to drugs compared to other professions. Analysts note that this easy access heightens the risk of misuse, despite greater caution due to professional repercussions.
Some physicians view sleep anesthetics like marijuana as just ‘one of many drugs,’ leading to underestimation of addiction and health risks, according to industry observations.
Notable Cases Highlight the Issue
In February 2024, authorities arrested over 100 individuals, including doctors, for illegally administering propofol and other medical narcotics, resulting in 41 imprisonments, many involving foreigners.
That November, a doctor from a clinic prescribed hemp-infused appetite suppressants indiscriminately to more than 20 patients and faced imprisonment. The physician admitted, “I repeated the offense to attract more patients.”
Other incidents included a prominent Gangnam hospital director in Seoul routinely injecting dozens of patients with propofol, where a propofol addiction-related death occurred. Additionally, a 30-year-old male doctor was suspended after injecting propofol with a female acquaintance at his clinic.
