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South Korea vows to arrest citizens who smoke cannabis in Canada

Nymphae

Banned
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...legalisation-south-korea-arrest-a8598031.html

South Korean residents who smoke cannabis in Canada will be “punished” on their return home, the country's authorities have warned.
"Weed smokers will be punished according to the Korean law, even if they did so in countries where smoking marijuana is legal. There won't be an exception,” said Yoon Se-jin, head of the anti-drugs division at Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial police agency.

Those found guilty could face up to five years in prison

Caught my eye in the news today, my GF is from South Korea and has expressed interest in smoking weed after legalization.

Doesn't really seem feasible to screen every Korean returning for marijuana usage.
 

Thurible

Member
That is strange. I don't think I have ever heard of a nation government arresting citizens for doing something in another country that is legal there.
 

Azzurri

Member
I was going to ask how drugs are looked at over in South Korea. I guess I found my answer, lmao.

Also, are there that many drugs in South Korea like Coke or Weed? I'm thinking it's pretty hard to smuggle it in unless it's through the ports.
 

pel1300

Member
Guys don't read too much into this.

Koreans have been going to Vang Vieng, Laos and smoking weed, eating happy pizza, drinking mushroom shakes in Bali for years.

Nothing ever happens to them.

This is just BS PR speak.
 

NahaNago

Member
I'm guessing that they would need video proof of it happening before they would arrest someone but like yeah this would be hard to pin on folks.
 

lil puff

Member
I'm guessing that they would need video proof of it happening before they would arrest someone but like yeah this would be hard to pin on folks.
Still, it's fear mongering of a high order.

You would have to take a minute to consider if your clothing smelled like weed or something in case some substance sniffing dogs were waiting at the airline gates.

"no exceptions"

I would never like there. F that. Even in the state America is in, there are some places I would not go.
 

Hudo

Member
Wouldn't those citizens then be legible for requesting asylum? Since they would "fear punishment in their home country". Would be hilarious if that were the case, haha.


This whole thing just sounds surreal. How would South Korea go about proving this? Blood and urine samples for everyone?
 

NahaNago

Member
Still, it's fear mongering of a high order.

You would have to take a minute to consider if your clothing smelled like weed or something in case some substance sniffing dogs were waiting at the airline gates.

"no exceptions"

I would never like there. F that. Even in the state America is in, there are some places I would not go.

I honestly just figured you would shower and change your clothes on the day you leave for Korea. It still isn't too crazy since it is illegal in most states and that country so going out of your way just to smoke something you" never" did before just seems a bit much. So don't do what you were already not suppose to be doing in the country your from. It's still wierd and not right.
 

pel1300

Member
I honestly just figured you would shower and change your clothes on the day you leave for Korea. It still isn't too crazy since it is illegal in most states and that country so going out of your way just to smoke something you" never" did before just seems a bit much. So don't do what you were already not suppose to be doing in the country your from. It's still wierd and not right.
Again, this is a non issue. Young Koreans have been consuming weed for so many years in South East Asia. Mushrooms too. In those countries, it is technically illegal and no Koreans have gotten into any trouble. This Canada situation only caught the attention of the Korean government because it's big news in Canada (legalization of recreational marijuana). The Korean politicians are just saying this to appease the conservative old Korean men and women.

That's it. Koreans have nothing..NOTHING to worry about.
 
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lil puff

Member
I honestly just figured you would shower and change your clothes on the day you leave for Korea. It still isn't too crazy since it is illegal in most states and that country so going out of your way just to smoke something you" never" did before just seems a bit much. So don't do what you were already not suppose to be doing in the country your from. It's still wierd and not right.
But the idea that you would even have to think about it is bizarre.

5 years prison if you do something legal in another country. So if the speed limit was faster in another country, they consider it an offense if they knew you drove that fast.

What a strange way of govt control.
 

lil puff

Member
Again, this is a non issue. Young Koreans have been consuming weed for so many years in South East Asia. Mushrooms too. In those countries, it is technically illegal and no Koreans have gotten into any trouble. This Canada situation only caught the attention of the Korean government because it's big news in Canada (legalization of recreational marijuana). The Korean politicians are just saying this to appease the conservative old Korean men and women.

That's it. Koreans have nothing..NOTHING to worry about.
I understand people are going to do what they do, that's not my point.

It's this kind of message, even if to appease conservative or the older people. It is strange from my own perspective. I get that cultures do things differently.
 
That is strange. I don't think I have ever heard of a nation government arresting citizens for doing something in another country that is legal there.

Not really comparable but havent a few people who went to fight with the Kurds vs ISIS gotten in trouble? I remember some article online about some westerners getting in trouble for it in their home countries

Not that it is anywhere near the same thing
 

cryptoadam

Banned
Hope this just isnt an excuse for SK to lock people up coming back from Canada, on the pretext they smoked weed.

From what I know about SK its a pretty open, democratic place.
 

pel1300

Member
I understand people are going to do what they do, that's not my point.

It's this kind of message, even if to appease conservative or the older people. It is strange from my own perspective. I get that cultures do things differently.

Yes it's strange. I've been living here on and off for 8 years. It's a super reactionist place. It was a patriarchy before, and now it's shifting towards feminazi.

The older generation and the young are never on the same page. They don't debate with each other...the younger generation doesn't bother...because they know how stubborn the older gen is. I don't blame them.

I could go on for hours. The millenials in Korea are really liberal and they hide that from the boomers. The boomers don't realize it because of that. They think all Koreans still hate Japan when it's simply not true.

I have had to endure listening to both middle aged conservatives and young millenials in this country during one on one teaching....it's super reactionary. Basically each generation tries to be the opposite of what the previous gen was.
 

pel1300

Member
Lmao what the fuck? This sounds like a empty promise tbh.
It is. Trust me, there will not be any drug testing at airports. Korea is VERY lax when it comes to this kind of thing.

They have strict laws...but when push comes to shove..they aren't Indonesia...they let the people go. I know from first hand experience of peers who foolishly had weed mailed to them 15 years ago. All it took was two weeks of pleading...these students didn't get off scot free, but they got a far more lenient punishment than what you would expect.
 

Blam

Member
It is. Trust me, there will not be any drug testing at airports. Korea is VERY lax when it comes to this kind of thing.

They have strict laws...but when push comes to shove..they aren't Indonesia...they let the people go. I know from first hand experience of peers who foolishly had weed mailed to them 15 years ago. All it took was two weeks of pleading...these students didn't get off scot free, but they got a far more lenient punishment than what you would expect.
Yeah that's what I'd expect actually not too far from what I've heard they did in Canada. Basically they would confiscate the package, and let you go. Literally no punishment lmao.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
I had to do a double-take at the title because my head read North Korea, but then I realized they do not let their citizens leave in the first place.
 

LordPezix

Member
Fake News.

Just like the man said above, those pacific Asian nations have been doin the dopes for yyeeeeaaarrrrrsssssss!!!!

I got away doing Coke in Singapore, the place that canes you if you fucking chew gum lol
 
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Thurible

Member
I think some countries already do it for pedophile.
Isn't pedophilia/child molesting illegal in just about every first world nation? I would hope that someone wouldn't get away with that just by going to a country where that is legal.
 

Cybrwzrd

Banned
Fake News.

Just like the man said above, those pacific Asian nations have been doin the dopes for yyeeeeaaarrrrrsssssss!!!!

I got away doing Coke in Singapore, the place that canes you if you fucking chew gum lol

Yeah, I smoked up in Japan and Hong Kong a few times as well. It is illegal, but people are going to do it anyway.
 
I was going to ask how drugs are looked at over in South Korea. I guess I found my answer, lmao.

The ironic thing is I've heard they don't care about weed in N. Korea. (Don't know if that's actually true, but I've read that many times)
 
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Mohonky

Member
I was going to ask how drugs are looked at over in South Korea. I guess I found my answer, lmao.

Also, are there that many drugs in South Korea like Coke or Weed? I'm thinking it's pretty hard to smuggle it in unless it's through the ports.

Its there, a lot of drugs actually come out of Asia particularly to Australia but you do not want to fuck around with drugs in Asia. Penalties are harsh and can include the death penalty in many countries.

Australians are always getting locked up in Bali, Thailand, Vietnam etc for either smuggling or using. South Korea and Japan are probably some of the more 'lenient' nations in terms of punishing drug uses, but just about everywhere, lets just say I would be shitting bricks being anywhere near the stuff knowing the penalties. I wouldnt want to be caught up in it.
 

Sakura

Member
Isn't pedophilia/child molesting illegal in just about every first world nation? I would hope that someone wouldn't get away with that just by going to a country where that is legal.
Yeah but the age of consent varies depending on the country. In one country it might be 14 while in another it might be 18. I feel like I've heard of cases like this, but can't recall any specific ones.
As for the topic of this thread, yeah they obviously aren't going to test every one coming back, but it's more the fear of you could get caught I think. I'm not sure how it works in SK, but I know in Canada, they will randomly choose people and ask to see in their laptops and stuff like that time to time. If SK does the same, they could catch people by random inspection.
 
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