“Rich People Drug” — Netizens Shocked To Discover The Cost Of Cocaine In Korea After Yoo Ah In Tests Positive
Actor Yoo Ah In recently shocked fans after testing positive for four drugs — propofol, marijuana, cocaine, and ketamine. Netizens shared their surprise at his behavior, primarily because of how “hard” some drugs are. Some even shared they believed that the police “saved his life” by investigating him.
Another aspect of Yoo Ah In’s drug usage has shocked netizens — the cost of cocaine.
Cocaine has had a long history, first being used in medicines before it was regarded as the addictive substance that it is. In the 1990s and 2000s, the drug reached new levels of popularity in the United States. Many Hollywood stars like Drew Barrymore, Robert Downey Jr, and Jamie Lee Curtis have all publically spoken about their experiences with the addictive substance.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the average cost of a kilogram of cocaine is around 28 thousand USD. While many factors play into the price, purchasing the drug in South Korea is much more expensive.
A news report shared that one kilogram of cocaine in South Korea sold for around ₩170 million KRW (about $131,000 USD).
Chief External Relations Officer Seung Jae Hyun of the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice spoke about the drug in an interview with Channel A news saying, “less than ten people a year are caught for cocaine use in Korea.”
Less than 10 people per year are caught for cocaine use in Korea. In 2021, we had only 7. Cocaine is not that accessible in Korea… So for [Yoo Ah In] to have tested positive for cocaine of all drugs, there’s no excuse he could give.
— Chief External Relations Officer Seung Jae Hyun of the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice
On average, drugs in Korea are more expensive, costing several times more than in many other countries.
In an online forum post, netizens shared their shock and confusion at how much Yoo Ah In may have spent on the drug.
- “He must have had so much money that he lost his mind over how to use it all. Should’ve gone with charity, though.”
- “What a mess.”
- “I used to be a huge fan… This makes me so sad. Why did he have to do drugs? With all that money he made, he could’ve done so many other things! You dumb*ss!”
- “I always wondered what was wrong with him. He would look and sound so weird in his interviews… Like, he’d mumble something and then space out.”
- “Honestly, I thought it was a part of his personality. I thought maybe, he was a bit full of himself. But oh well, it’s all over for him now.”122-127
- “I’m worried that people will start thinking cocaine is some hipster drug for the rich people to flex with. It’s not. Your noses will rot and fall off if you do coke.”
- “I’ve always known that sellers want to break the market in Korea because drugs are such expensive products here.”
- “With ₩100 million KRW (about $77,000 USD) he could have gone to do SO MANY OTHER fun things… Why drugs?”
- “Yep. That’s why Wall Street in the US has a lot of cocaine addicts. Haha. It’s not a drug you can buy easily. You need to be rich.”
- “SO FULL OF HIMSELF… F*ck.”
- “Oh, but I thought he wanted to live a minimalist lifestyle or whatever.”
