▲ This composite photo from Yonhap News TV depicts drug addiction. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- The number of teenagers apprehended by police for drug-related offenses in the first seven months of this year reached nearly 80 percent of last year's annual total, a lawmaker said Wednesday, citing data from the Korean National Police Agency.

According to the police data released by Rep. Kim Jun-hyuk of the ruling Democratic Party, 370 teenagers were apprehended for drug offenses between January and July, equivalent to 78.7 percent of the 470 teenagers apprehended for such offenses throughout last year.

The number of teenage drug offenders stood at 309 in 2021 and 294 in 2022, but surged to 1,066 in 2023. It subsequently decreased to 442 in 2024 before rising again to 470 last year.

The total number of drug offenders rose from 10,626 in 2021 to 12,387 in 2022 and 17,817 in 2023. The number then fell to 13,512 in 2024 and 13,353 last year, while 8,426 offenders were apprehended in the first seven months of this year.

Students accounted for a significant share of those apprehended.

As of July this year, 295 students had been apprehended for drug offenses, or 63 percent of the 468 students apprehended last year.

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