Pubdate: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 Source: Korea Times (South Korea) Contact: 2008 Korea Times Website: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/916 Author: Park Si-soo Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Marijuana) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) FOREIGN INSTRUCTORS' DRUG OFFENSES UNABATING The government has introduced several tough measures to counter foreign English speaking teachers' drug consumption and trafficking, but they are recurring. The absolute number of drug offenses by foreigners is a lot less than Koreans. But what worries government officials is that despite tough screening for the selection of instructors at schools, they are seeing native English speaking instructors being arrested for the use of banned drugs. A group of foreign drug traffickers including a native English teacher at a primary school were arrested on Wednesday. Yeonsu Police Station in Incheon, 40 kilometers southwest of Seoul, said it apprehended a 21-year-old American, identified only as W, and eight other foreign nationals. Also among the arrested was a foreign English teacher who worked at a primary school. They are charged with having distributed cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy to foreign workers and students here, according to the police, who added W grew marijuana in his room using flowerpots. They sold the drugs to foreign instructors and students, the police said. The latest roundup comes just several weeks after other foreign instructors were arrested for drug offenses. In December, a Canadian instructor at an elementary school in Incheon was arrested for smuggling marijuana and an American instructor at a school in Suwon was also arrested for the use of ecstasy. On Nov. 12, a 23-year-old native English teacher was sentenced to two and a half year in prison on charge of smuggling drugs through an international package service. The National Police Agency (NPA) said more than 11,000 crimes involving foreign nationals were reported in 2006, up 24 percent from the previous year's 8,392. The agency said more than 8,800 cases were uncovered in the first eight months of 2007. The total for the year has not yet been released. "Around 2.4 percent of all crimes reported are illegal drug distribution, consumption and production. And the ratio is on the increase year after year," a police officer who refused to be named told The Korea Times. "The actual number involving undetected cases could be much higher." According to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, a total of 226 foreigners were arrested on drug charges last year, almost double the 116 reported in 2006. Chinese nationals made up the largest group with 58 in 2007, followed by U.S. citizens with 35 and Filipinos with 31. The Ministry of Justice introduced new visa regulations for language instructors from Dec. 15 as part of efforts to prevent foreign nationals with criminal records and health problems from being employed here at schools and private institutions. Under the program, foreigners applying for an E-2 Visa _ a must-have visa for native language teachers in Korea _ are obliged to submit a criminal background check and health data including HIV-AIDS and drug-test results. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake