Drug Crime Lawyer in Korea for Foreigners

How does Korea charge drug possession, use, and trafficking?

The Narcotics Control Act splits cannabis, psychotropics, and narcotics, then splits use, possession, and supply. Quantity, purity, chats, and who held the bag decide the count.

A “personal use” story still needs a lab result and a role map. Do not volunteer other names to look cooperative.

Can I be charged if cannabis was legal in my home country?

Yes. Korean charging looks at possession, use, or import on Korean soil or in Korean airspace, not at the law of the place you bought it.

Tell counsel the last-use date and any medication list before you explain “it was legal there.” That sentence without a timeline becomes an admission.

What happens during a Korean urine or hair drug test?

Urine is the near-term screen. Hair can reach back months. A medical prescription must be on the file before anyone calls a result “unexplained.”

Once a sample is sealed, arguing about the kit at the station rarely helps. Counsel asks for the chain-of-custody paper and the detection window.

What is the penalty under the Narcotics Control Act?

Article 60 of the Narcotics Control Act includes imprisonment of up to five years for scheduled cannabis offences; other substances and supply counts sit in adjacent articles with heavier ranges.

Simple-use files can still become supply if the phone dump shows repeated sending. We freeze that mapping before the next interview.

Will I be deported for a drug conviction in Korea?

Drug convictions are among the files immigration reads strictly. A guilty finding can support deportation and a re-entry ban, not only a criminal sentence.

Even a suspended sentence is still a conviction for stay-extension purposes. Visa strategy starts on the same day as the lab report.

What should I refuse if police ask for a drug test today?

Do not guess last-use dates, do not hand over every account “to clear this up,” and do not decline an interpreter. You may remain silent and call counsel first.

If a sample is already taken, write down the time, the kit, and who was in the room. Then call 1600-9886.

Have similar foreigner files been handled at this desk?

Deferred prosecution — Psychotropic sale and use: deferred prosecution

Warrant dismissed — Narcotics collection and handling allegation: detention warrant dismissed

Sentence reduced — Cannabis use: sentence cut to about half the prosecution’s request