Drug investigation experts from 24 countries convene in Seoul; police discuss strengthening international cooperation

[Financial News] Drug investigation experts from 24 countries around the world will gather in Seoul to discuss ways to jointly respond to drug crimes that cross national borders. Recent issues in drug investigations will be among the main topics, from undercover operations and the spread of new drugs to crimes involving encrypted messaging apps and the tracking of criminal proceeds involving virtual assets.
According to the Korean National Police Agency on the 12th, the 2026 International Drug Investigation Conference (ICON 2026) will be held at Seoul Dragon City over two days, from today through the 13th.
Now in its 14th edition, the event will bring together about 170 participants from law enforcement agencies dealing with drugs in 24 countries, including the United States, Thailand and Australia, as well as five international organizations and seven related domestic agencies.
The participating international organizations are Interpol, ASEANAPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). Domestic participants include the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Prosecution Agency, the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, the Korea Customs Service and the Korea Coast Guard, among other related agencies.
The Korean National Police Agency has held the International Drug Investigation Conference since 2010 to exchange information on drug crimes between countries and broaden the basis for joint investigations. This year, it has adopted “Across Borders, Combating Drugs” as the slogan and will share investigative experience and cooperation measures to address evolving criminal methods.
Discussions will be divided into four broad areas. Participants will examine new risk factors, including undercover investigation techniques for drug crimes, e-cigarettes containing narcotics, new drugs and the rise in drug abuse among young people.
Other key topics include drug crimes involving encrypted messaging apps and ways to trace and recover illicit proceeds obtained through virtual assets. Participants will also share their countries’ experiences in securing evidence and preserving its admissibility during joint investigations across borders.
As an example of the results of cooperation with foreign investigative agencies, police cited the extradition of so-called “drug kingpin” Park Wang-yeol, arranged in coordination with Philippine authorities in March this year. Police said that, later, a person identified only by the surname Choi, who had supplied drugs to Park, was also arrested and repatriated through cooperation with Thailand.
At the opening, Hong Seok-gi, head of the Korean National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation, emphasized cooperation among countries and agencies to respond to the transnational spread of drug crimes and the increasingly sophisticated methods used in them.
Hong said, “I hope this event will serve as an opportunity to share experience and expertise in investigating drug crimes and to jointly seek more effective approaches.”

[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter