1. REF A IS ANSWERED IN THE SAME CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AS
CONTAINED THEREIN:
2. SECTION A.
(A) NONE
(B) NONE
(C) NONE
(D) NONE
(E) NONE. 482 FUNDS - CENTRALLY FUNDED. U.S. CUSTOMS CONDUCTED
TWO-WEEK IN-COUNTRY TRAINING SCHOOL (40 ROK CUSTOMS AGENTS TRAINED):
DEA CONDUCTED A TWO-WEEK IN-COUNTRY TRAINING SCHOOL (70 ROK
NARCOTIC AGENTS AND ROK POLICE TRAINED). COST FOR BOTH SCHOOLS
UNAVAILABLE AT THIS POST.
2. SECTION B.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 SEOUL 06239 140950Z
(A) NO SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS.
(B) THERE IS LITTLE ABUSE OF DRUGS BY THE LOCAL POPULACE. ROK
AUTHORITIES HAVE NOTED SOME EXPERIMENTATION WITH MARIHUANA AND
BARBITURATES BY SOME COLLEGE STUDENTS, MUSICIANS, AND ENTERTAINERS.
AT THIS TIME, THIS IS VERY LIMITED. THERE IS ALSO SOME ABUSE OF
THESE DRUGS BY U.S. MILITARY BUT NOT ON THE SCALE OF OTHER
AREAS IN WHICH THE U.S. HAS LARGE CONCENTRATIONS OF TROOPS. THE
ROK IS CONSCIOUS OF THE PROBLEMS OF DRUG ABUSE, AS IT HAS
EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST; AND, THEREFORE, MAINTAINS
STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF ITS DRUG LAWS. THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT
CONTINUALLY EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR MORE DRUG ENFORCEMENT
TRAINING AND IS NOW TAKING AN INTEREST IN INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION.
(C) (1) THE OPIUM POPPY IS GROWN IN THE ROK, BUT, AT THE
PRESENT TIME, THERE IS NO HEROIN PRODUCTION. THE OPIUM YIELD IS
FOR LOCAL MEDICINAL USE BY FARMERS IN REMOTE AREAS. ROK
AUTHORITIES EACH YEAR DESTROY CLANDESTINE OPIUM FIELDS, NONE OF
WHICH ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO YIELD SUFFICIENT OPIUM FOR ANY
LARGE CONVERSION TO HEROIN.
(2) CANNABIS IS GROWN LEGALLY IN THE ROK FOR HEMP AND TEXTILES
BUT THIS PRODUCTION DIMINISHES EACH YEAR AS THE NEED FOR THESE
PRODUCTS DIMINISHES; THE KOREAN PEOPLE ARE SUBSTITUTING SUCH
SYNTHETICS AS NYLON FOR HEMP TO MAKE ROPES AND THE YOUNGER
KOREANS NO LONGER DESIRE THE TRADITIONAL HEMP CLOTH.
(3) THERE IS METHAMPHETAMINE MANUFACTURED IN HE ROK BY
CLANDESTINE LABORATORIES. ALTHOUGH NOT CENTERED IN PUSAN,
THIS CITY IS THE AREA IN WHICH MOST OF THE LABORATORIES ARE
LOCATED.
(D) IT CAN BE SAID THAT ALL OF THE METHAMPHETAMINE ILLICITLY
PRODUCED IN THE ROK IS SMUGGLED TO JAPAN (USUALLY BY SEAMEN
COURIERS). THIS ILLICIT SMUGGLING, FOR THE MOST PART, IS
UNDER THE CONTROL OF ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GANGS FROM OSAKA,
JAPAN.
(E) THE ROK FROM ALL APPEARANCES DESIRES TO COOPERATE IN
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL ACTIVITIES.
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 SEOUL 06239 140950Z
(F) (1) THE U.S. MISSION IN KOREA, THROUGH THE NCAP REPORT
TO CCINC FOR FY 77, IS REQUESTING FUNDS FOR UPGRADING THE
ROK ENFORCEMENT DIVISION WITH CERTAIN COMMODITIES, E.G., VEHICLES
AND RADIOS, AS WELL AS U.S. TRAINING OF POLICE INSTRUCTORS FROM
THE ROK NATIONAL POLICE ACADEMY.
(2) THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE. THE ROK
DESIRES FULL COOPERATION WITH THE U.S.
(G) (1) THERE ARE NO REALLY IMPORTANT NARCOTIC OPERATIONS AT
PRESENT. THE ROK IS BEING URGED TO EXERCISE MORE CONTROLS ON
EPHEDRINE, THE RAW MATERIAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METHAMPHETAMINE.
THIS SUBJECT IS UNDER STUDY AND NEW CONTROLS SHOULD BE
FORTHCOMING.
(2) HARD FIGURES ON SEIZURES ARE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. WHAT
CAN BE STATED IS THAT ROK AUTHORITIES, EACH MONTH, MAKE
SEVERAL ARRESTS INVOLVING METHAMPHETAMINE AND CONTINUALLY
SEIZE METHAMAPHETAMINE LABORATORIES. IT IS ALSO WORKING
CONTINUOUSLY WITH U.S. ARMY CID PERSONNEL ON INVESTIGATIONS
INVOLVING U.S. MILITARY AND KOREAN CITIZENS.
(3) THERE ARE NO U.S.-FINANCED NARCOTICS PROJECTS IN KOREA AT
THE PRESENT TIME.
(H) NONE.
(8) NO CHANGE.
ERICSON
CONFIDENTIAL
<< END OF DOCUMENT >>