Seoul: The number of drug smuggling attempts by air travelers nearly tripled in 2025 compared with a year earlier, customs authorities said Monday. The Korea Customs Service reported 557 cases of drug smuggling involving air travelers between January and November, compared with 198 cases in 2024.

According to Yonhap News Agency, drugs seized during the cited period totaled 275.7 kilograms, more than double the amount seized over the same period last year. The number of such cases has shown a steady increase in recent years, rising from 112 in 2022 to 177 in 2023 and 198 in 2024.

In response to the rising trend, the customs agency stated that it has conducted comprehensive inspections on flights arriving from countries deemed at high risk for drug trafficking since the beginning of this year.