>Citizens can be prosecuted for using illicit drugs even if they do so abroad.
Is this a serious consideration for Koreans traveling abroad? I am curious how this is being monitored and enforced, seems impossible to actually enforce.
I find that Koreans can be surprisingly snitchy. For instance, garbage snitches. A lot of Koreans seem mortally afraid of accidentally throwing away plastic because neighbors would (and do) look at their trash and will report them to authorities for it. They can receive a hefty fine as a result.
A big part of the Lee Sun Kyun "scandal", less reported in the US media, is the fact that he was blackmailed by an escort. Having known very little about this, I thought he committed a mortal sin, but upon reading the allegations.. while they may look bad.. and they are really bad for his family.. they were at the very bottom of the totem pole of vice-seeking behaviors. They're not remotely reason for one to take their life over. Which leads to a broader discussion about Korea.The fact society in Korea makes suicide seem like a better option than the reputational ruination for the violation of what are essentially Christian-conservative values is a shame.
It's really ironic. Most windows of low-rise Korean homes/"villas" have iron bars over them. Most homes have spiked fences. Trash police have many terrified of neighbors. There are cameras (Police cameras + always-on dash cameras) literally everywhere. None of these are hallmarks of high trust. And yet, I could leave a wallet in a mcdonalds and it'd still be there after 8 hours.
In the US, CANZUK, etc that's a totally valid defense as those nations don't really have extranational laws on the books outside of tax, underage sex and human trafficking related ones. And even those are difficult to trigger, with the prosecution needing to prove that you traveled to another nation specifically to commit those offenses.
The other obvious case would be South Korean nationals (especially celebs/influencers) doing drugs and posting it on social media.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1422765/south-korea-cann...
Probably similar to American values of Nixon-era war-on-drugs.
SK has mandatory military service. I had a coworker whose best service friend was shot while on border patrol. By his own forces. He got lost and wasn’t quick enough with the password when challenged.
Coworkers view: “He screwed up.”
Different world.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_South_Korean_political_sc...
In Korea if you're an actor or celebrity, then your agency and clients could end their contracts with you even based on a mere rumor. The press, people on social media are also incredibly aggressive, especially against women and would harass a celebrity once the rumor gets out. This is why spreading rumors is serious business in Asia.
1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasaeng_fan
My guess is Lee has possibly committed suicide after being investigated for drug use, harassed and his life basically ruined.