Lee Su-jung: "Concerns over spread of drug crimes in Suwon...Need comprehensive measures"
Lee Su-jung, chairwoman of the People Power Party's Suwon-jeong District Party Committee, and Suwon City council members called for expanded investigations into suppliers and sales organizations on the 1st at the Suwon City Council briefing room, stating "drug incidents occurring in Suwon cannot be eradicated of the distribution network formed in the community if they are handled only as individual drug use cases."
Chairwoman Lee Su-jung stated "methamphetamine is not a drug that an individual produces and consumes alone" and argued that "it is necessary to confirm the possibility of the existence of an organized network connecting suppliers, dealers, online distribution channels, and drug users."
She continued, "we must widely examine whether there are commonalities in the purchasing paths, contact methods, and online chat and social media usage records of those recently identified or investigated in Suwon," and emphasized "investigations should not stop at the arrest of low-level drug users but should trace supply and sales organizations and online trading networks."
The party committee expressed concerns that recent drug-related cases and suspicious reports have been occurring in Suwon, with drug problems spreading beyond specific areas such as entertainment districts to general residential areas and citizens' daily lives.
Particularly noting that this incident occurred in the Suwon-jeong electoral district, it urged that National Assembly member Kim Jun-hyuk should receive reports on related conditions from police and Suwon City and demand measures to investigate supply chains and prevent recurrence from relevant agencies.
It also demanded that Suwon City establish comprehensive regional measures.
Chairwoman Lee stated "drug investigations are the responsibility of police and prosecutors, but protecting citizen safety and preventing drug addiction are the duties of local governments," and said "Mayor Lee Jae-jun of Suwon City should understand the actual conditions of drug crimes and addiction within the region and clarify what response systems are being operated with police, educational institutions, and medical institutions."
She ordered that Suwon City should establish measures encompassing preventive education, counseling for addicts, treatment and rehabilitation, and information sharing among relevant agencies.
She also urged National Assembly members from the Suwon region to prepare measures to strengthen drug investigation and public safety response systems.
Regarding National Assembly member Kim Young-jin, chairwoman of the Administrative Safety Committee, she urged him to inspect the drug investigation and public safety response systems in the Suwon region and to develop measures for effectively tracking supply networks even in police-centered investigation systems.
Regarding National Assembly member Kim Seung-won, the candidate for Minister of Justice, she demanded that he present specific plans at the Ministry of Justice level for inter-agency cooperation, response to new drugs, and blocking distribution organizations.
Chairwoman Lee stated "drugs are not an individual's deviation but a crime that destroys families and threatens regional safety," and said "to protect the peaceful daily lives of Suwon citizens, we will respond until the reality of drug supply and distribution networks is revealed."
According to police statistics presented to the chairwoman, the number of drug-related crimes recorded in Gyeonggi Province increased from 1,982 cases in 2020 to 2,961 cases in 2024, an increase of approximately 49 percent.
Meanwhile, police are continuing investigations into the purchasing route of drugs and whether there are additional related parties, while confirming the components and drug use status of items found at a residential house in Maetan-dong.