Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
Former WINNER member Nam Tae Hyun is certainly trying his best to speak out about the dangers of drug addiction, previously giving an interview about the subject where he makes raw admissions, and now speaking at the National Assembly to call for government support.
On October 12, Nam Tae Hyun attended the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee parliamentary audit as a witness and emphasized the importance of rehabilitation, saying, “It’s difficult for (drug addicts) to quit on their own.”
Nam introduced himself, saying, “I started using marijuana when I felt that I had reached the end while taking psychiatric drugs due to severe depression, and eventually, I came into contact with methamphetamine. Currently, I am staying at a drug addiction rehabilitation facility called ‘Incheon DARC.”
In addition to DARC, he cites Narcotics Anonymous for helping him (which has issues but whatever works), and brings up the lack of funds for these programs.
At the Incheon DARC, where he resides full-time, Nam Tae Hyun participates in regular counseling sessions alongside other patients, sharing his journey into addiction and recovery. A program he holds in high regard is the Narcotics Anonymous or NA program, which he indicates plays a significant role in his recovery process.
Nam Tae Hyun pointed out, “The drug addiction problem is serious, but most of the centers are operated with the center director’s own funds, and government support is severely lacking.”
He further conveyed the situation on-site, saying, “Due to drug addiction, our center receives calls every day asking for help and to be saved, but we are in a state where we cannot accommodate them.”
He emphasized, “Drug addiction isn’t something you can cure by merely visiting a hospital. The need for a comprehensive, 24-hour supervised rehabilitation therapy is critical.” He urgently requested the government step in to provide more support.
Nam Tae Hyun also strongly discouraged any form of drug use. He said, “I understand that many young individuals are curious about drugs, but I advise you never to touch them.” He added, “Drug addiction cannot be overcome alone, so I hope you have the courage to ask for help.”
Response to this has been predictably cold and critical since it involves drugs in Korea, and obviously he’s trying his best to show the court he’s sincere in order to get his sentence reduced, but this is one of those things that it doesn’t really matter what the impetus behind it is, because it’s something that needs as many voices as possible.
Unfortunately, the issue he’s speaking of has been a common theme lately, as drug problems are on the rise in Korea and addicts are worryingly finding themselves with limited under-funded options to get clean.
To some extent, him speaking out has at least worked on me, as it led me down a rabbit hole of stories about the current issue in Korea. Here’s a story written about the DARC founder in Korea and his battle with addiction and getting funding for his rehab centers, and I found this about the founder’s story particularly informative about how drugs were looked at decades ago.
His first arrest for drug use took place in 1977. Lim recalls being subject to brutal treatment, including having his wrists and ankles shackled. Officials from the Ministry of Health, which at the time had the direct authority to arrest and punish drug addicts, inflicted various forms of torture including waterboarding on those they held into custody, according to Lim. At that time, the authorities focused on violently punishing offenders, assuming that fear would deter further drug use.
Hopefully Nam Tae Hyun is able to make a difference here, because simply stigmatizing drug use likely feels like the right things to do for many, but realistically use is going to happen in today’s ever-wired world, so it only makes sense to provide resources to those who want to change.
