Specialist Lawyers Make a Killing from Rise in Drug Crime

The recent increase in drug crimes has led to a sharp rise in demand for lawyers specializing in narcotics cases, and they are happy to cash in. 

Lawyers' fees for narcotics cases are more than double than for run-of-the-mill offenses like drunk driving or assault, which makes drug offenders sought-after clients. Last year, a record 12,387 people were arrested on drug-related charges, which was up 52.7 percent compared to 2018.

Lawyers typically charge W5 million per narcotics case, rising to W10 million if the charges are severe, while the average fee for a drunk-driving case is just W3 million (US$1=W1,325). 

Defense lawyer Kim Ji-woo said, "Bigger law firms specializing in criminal cases have set up their own narcotics teams and are hiring specialists." 

Law schools also see more students wanting to specialize in narcotics law. Jang Young-soo at Korea University School of Law said, "The legal profession involves a certain amount of hustling, so it's natural that lawyers actively seek to defend drug offenders. The more drug crime there is, the more lawyers are needed to handle the cases."