Korea’s Drug Rehabilitation Agency Faces Questions Over Internal Accountability

South Korea’s leading drug-prevention and rehabilitation organization is facing renewed scrutiny over its internal safeguards after an investigative report alleged that senior figures had prioritized protecting the institution’s reputation while misconduct concerns circulated around influential members of the addiction-recovery community.

The Korean Association Against Drug Abuse was founded in 1992 under the leadership of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association. Its responsibilities include drug prevention, rehabilitation and support for people returning to society after addiction. The organization’s public role expanded when it was designated as an other public institution in 2024, as drug addiction became a more prominent national policy concern.

The report described a 2023 internal meeting at which participants discussed allegations involving well-known recovery advocates and rehabilitation-center operators. According to an account of the meeting, senior officials acknowledged concerns but argued that wider disclosure could damage both the organization and rehabilitation efforts. The discussion reportedly included calls for members to protect one another as the institution prepared for a major expansion of its programs.

The investigation also raised questions about a former center director who had been promoted as a symbol of successful recovery. Multiple people in the recovery community alleged that he habitually used zolpidem, a prescription sleep medication, and sometimes appeared impaired or unable to remember conversations. The former director did not respond to phone calls or text messages seeking comment, according to the report. The allegations have not been established by a court or publicly confirmed through disciplinary findings.

After retiring in 2024, the former director became an adviser who trains counselors working on the organization’s 1342 telephone service. Material submitted to Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Mi-hwa showed that he had conducted two training sessions each month since June 2025 and received 600,000 won in monthly activity fees. An organization official said there had been no open recruitment process and that the appointment reflected his extensive experience.

The scrutiny comes as Korea seeks to strengthen treatment and rehabilitation rather than relying only on criminal punishment for drug offenses. At a government briefing in December 2025, President Lee Jae Myung questioned the organization’s leadership about which offenders receive rehabilitation education and which agencies provide it. The exchange exposed confusion over the respective roles of correctional authorities, probation offices and the rehabilitation organization.

The controversy points to a broader policy challenge: recovery services often rely on people with lived experience, whose knowledge can be valuable, but public institutions must still maintain clear vetting, complaint and accountability procedures. As the organization’s budget and responsibilities grow, confidence in those safeguards will be central to protecting vulnerable clients and preserving trust in Korea’s expanding addiction-recovery system.