Thailand ranked second only to Cambodia for cases in which South Koreans were caught trying to transport illicit drugs to third countries, according to data compiled by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Seoul and reported by a South Korean lawmaker.
Ten South Korean citizens were arrested in Thailand last year for attempting to move drugs from the kingdom to other countries, mostly in Europe, Yonhap reported on Sunday, quoting ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Joon-hwan.
Cambodia topped the list with 11 apprehensions, followed by Japan with nine. Laos recorded eight, while China and Vietnam each reported seven. Other reported locations included Britain and Turkey.
The figures reflect only cases in which South Koreans contacted their embassy in the country of arrest.
In 2025, arrests more than doubled to 47, a sharp rise from 23 in 2024, reflecting a notable surge in cases of South Korean nationals allegedly attempting to traffic illegal drugs from the countries they visited to third destinations.
Nearly half of the offenders were in their 30s, with most of the remainder in their 20s and 40s.
The report by the South Korean official news agency did not specify whether the intended final destinations included South Korea.
Thailand is already known as a source of drugs smuggled into South Korea by returning Koreans or foreign arrivals. One recent case saw a South Korean man arrested last month for attempting to smuggle crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, into his home country.
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