A major scandal has erupted involving hundreds of students from 13 universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, including prestigious institutions like Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University. These students have been implicated in collective drug use, distribution, and group sexual activities within a large social club.
On August 5, the Criminal Division 4 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Nam Soo Yeon) announced the arrest and indictment of four students, including the club president, on charges of violating drug laws. Two other students were indicted without detention, while eight students who were simply drug users received suspended indictments.
According to the investigation, 'A,' a man in his 30s who graduated from Yonsei University and was attending KAIST graduate school, founded a social club for so-called 'popular students' in 2021. The club recruited members with slogans like "Own at least 8 luxury cars" and "VIP access to numerous high-end hotels and resorts." Members were enticed with promises of free or low-cost access to top-tier restaurants and music festivals. 'A's social media posts attracted many students, and strict interviews based on appearance, educational background, and family status quickly grew the membership to over 300, making it the second-largest club of its kind nationwide.
'A' started using drugs in December 2022. Initially, he offered liquid marijuana to close club members during drinking sessions but gradually escalated to ketamine, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), and methamphetamine. According to the prosecution, they collectively used drugs more than ten times in hotels, clubs, and amusement parks. Notably, 'A' invited male members to luxury hotel suites where they took drugs and engaged in group sexual orgies with nightclub workers. Some members even smuggled psychotropic drugs like LSD in their luggage to Thailand and Jeju.
'A's drugs became more prevalent within the club, they openly distributed and sold them. 'A' and the club executives purchased drugs from dealers on Telegram using a 'throwing' method, buying each for around 100,000 KRW (73 USD) and reselling them to members for 150,000 to 200,000 KRW (110 to 146 USD) each. In just one year, they purchased drugs 12 million KRW (8,800 USD) worth of drugs with cryptocurrency, and the prosecution suspects the actual amount could be higher due to untraceable transactions.
'A' was arrested in December 2023 at a hotel after taking drugs with his girlfriend and causing a disturbance. Earlier, in April, he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend with a wine bottle and filmed their sexual encounters to threaten her, leading to charges of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act. Club members testified to the prosecution that 'A' filmed their drug usage to later blackmail them and divided members into small groups to control information sharing.
The group included students from top universities and those preparing for medical, pharmacy, and law schools. They rented an apartment in Guro-gu, Seoul, and used it as a "drug den," calling it OO House. To manage any potential legal problems, they even hired a legal advisor.
The prosecution is considering charging the suspects with organizing a criminal group, given their structured organization with roles distributed among the executive committee, planning, human resources, design, accounting, and publicity departments, along with organized activities like orientations. The suspects also subscribed to a social media channel providing tips on evading drug investigations, sharing methods to permanently delete data from phones, dye or bleach hair, and practicing responses to police interrogations. A prosecution official stated, "Large-scale drug organizations are extending their reach into universities."
In a related incident, drug promotion flyers with the phrase "Need inspiration?" were distributed at universities including Hongik University, Konkuk University, and Gachon University last October. Investigations revealed that a drug distribution organization was behind these flyers.
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