Foreign national gets suspended sentence for marijuana use and social media posts

A foreign national from Thailand has received a suspended prison sentence for consuming marijuana and posting about it on social media. The individual, identified as 'A', was sentenced by the Uijeongbu District Court.

The court handed down a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for violations of the Narcotics Control Act and the Immigration Act. 'A' was found to have cooked and consumed marijuana leaves, which were found growing wild in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, in a Thai dish called 'Tom Kha' with acquaintances in August 2024 and June of the previous year.

During the June incident, 'A' also recorded a video of the cooking process and shared it on their social media accounts. Investigations revealed that 'A' had been illegally staying in South Korea since their visa expired in 2018, until their arrest in March of the current year.

The court acknowledged that the defendant was aware that marijuana use is illegal in South Korea, especially given their prolonged stay. The court also noted the significant period of illegal overstay. However, mitigating factors included the defendant's remorse and the absence of prior criminal convictions in South Korea.

"The defendant committed the crime in this case despite knowing well that marijuana use in Korea is illegal, and the period of illegal stay is also considerable," the court stated. "The defendant's remorse for their wrongdoing and the fact that they have no prior criminal record in Korea are considered favorable circumstances in determining the sentence."