Former Gyeonggi Governor Nam Kyung-pil advises against early overseas study after son's drug conviction

Nam Kyung-pil, former governor of Gyeonggi Province, has urged parents to reconsider sending their children abroad for early education, citing his own son's struggles with drug use.

“

Don't send your children on early study abroad trips.

Appearing on the YouTube channel 'Lee Sung-mi's Can't Go,' Nam recounted how his eldest son first experimented with drugs at age 17. The son was attending a Christian school in the U.S. and living with the principal's family when he was introduced to marijuana by older acquaintances in the home's basement.

"The path to drugs opened up in that house," Nam stated, emphasizing that drug use is like a contagious disease. He noted that his son, who had expressed a desire to become a pastor and was a diligent student admitted to China's Tsinghua University, was not someone he expected to fall into addiction.

“

The path to drugs opened up in that house.

Nam warned that by the time parents become aware of their child's drug use, it is often too late, particularly if the child is studying abroad and out of direct supervision. His son was arrested in 2022 for marijuana use and subsequently for using methamphetamine multiple times between August 2022 and March 2023. Nam himself reported his son to the police after noticing his abnormal behavior. The son was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and released in October last year.

“

Drugs are like a contagious disease, and the more drug users there are among friends and acquaintances, the greater the possibility that our children will be exposed to drugs.

Since retiring from politics in 2018, Nam has dedicated himself to drug prevention and treatment, establishing the organization 'Eungoo' to support individuals struggling with addiction and their families.

“

When parents find out about this, it's already too late.