Seoul: The number of South Koreans who received consular support over their involvement in drug smuggling crimes overseas jumped around threefold in the past two years, a lawmaker said Sunday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 47 Korean nationals were cited for their involvement in illegal substance-related crimes last year, up from 16 in 2023 and 23 in 2024. This data was provided by Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), with the original data sourced from the foreign ministry.

The significant increase in numbers has been largely attributed to the number of Koreans caught while attempting to deliver drugs from Southeast Asian nations to countries in Europe. By age group, those in their 30s accounted for nearly half of the total, followed by individuals in their 40s and 20s. Notably, there were five people in their 70s and two people in their 80s involved in such crimes.

By country, 11 individuals received consular support in Cambodia, followed by 10 in Thailand and nine in Japan. In Laos, eight individuals received support, while seven in both China and Vietnam were aided. Meanwhile, six people each in Britain and Turkey received consular assistance, according to the data.

The DP lawmaker has called for increased vigilance against such crimes, especially for tourists traveling overseas during the summer holiday season. He also urged the foreign ministry and the police to enhance measures to prevent such cases in the future.