(123rf) Seven in 10 people treated for drug addiction in South Korea in 2024 had only one recorded hospital visit or admission that year, pointing to a persistent problem in the country's treatment and rehabilitation system.Of the 7,215 patients who received care for drug addiction, 5,115 had only one inpatient admission or outpatient visit during the year, according to an analysis by the National Assembly Research Service first reported Tuesday by the Seoul Shinmun newspaper.The NARS analysis of National Health Insurance Service claims data from 2015 through 2024 classified these patients as having discontinued treatment.The pattern persisted throughout the decade. The proportion of patients receiving care only once a year remained around 70 percent, ranging from 69 percent in 2019 to 78 percent in 2023.The claims data, however, does not show why patients did not return or whether they received help outside insurance-covered medical care.Treatment capacity is heavily concentrated among a small number of hospitals.The Health Ministry designates medical facilities to provide state-subsidized treatment for drug addiction. Of the 31 designated facilities in 2025, 13 did not treated anyone for drug addiction, while three hospitals handled 71 percent of all cases.Repeat drug offenses have continued to rise in recent years. The recidivism rate among drug offenders increased from 45 percent in 2020 to 56 percent in 2024. The figures do not show whether there is a link between one-time treatment and reoffending.Separate data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service also showed a sharp increase in younger patients diagnosed with drug-related mental and behavioral disorders.The number of patients in their 20s rose from 115 in 2020 to 275 in 2024. The number in their 30s increased from 118 to 223 over the same period.The HIRA figures are based on a separate diagnosis-based count and are not directly comparable with the NARS total.South Korea has stepped up its campaign against drug crime. In March, President Lee Jae Myung included it among seven social “abnormalities” that his administration would seek to eradicate.Responsibility for treatment and rehabilitation, however, remains divided among government agencies. The Justice Ministry oversees probation, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety manages social rehabilitation programs and the Health Ministry is responsible for state-subsidized treatment.Researchers have long called for a central body to coordinate those functions.A 2014 study published in the Korean Association of Police Science Review recommended establishing a coordinating body for drug policy or strengthening the existing interagency council.A 2023 comparative study published in the Korean Association of Addiction Crime Review renewed that call, arguing that a lead organization would allow the government to pursue consistent treatment and rehabilitation policies and better connect the judicial, correctional, medical and social reintegration systems.