South Korea’s largest cocaine bust has been recorded after authorities intercepted a cargo ship carrying one tonne of the illicit drug, setting a new national record in a country known for its low narcotics trade volume.
The Korea Coast Guard and the Seoul Regional Customs Office acted swiftly on a tip from the U.S. FBI, who warned of a suspicious shipment en route to South Korea aboard a bulker originating from South America. The ship was due to dock at Okgye Port, located south of Gangneung on the country’s east coast.
Upon arrival early Tuesday morning, a 90-member task force boarded the vessel and initiated a thorough search. Hidden compartments on the ship yielded 50 tightly wrapped packages, each containing 20 kilograms of cocaine—totalling one tonne. This quantity is more than double South Korea’s previous record. Authorities estimate the street value of the haul at approximately $340 million.
While local media did not confirm the vessel’s name, they described it as a Norwegian-flagged, 32,000-tonne bulker. Maritime data indicates the Lunita, currently docked at Okgye, matches the profile. Its Automatic Identification System (AIS) logs align with the reported journey, tracing a path through several high-risk ports known for cocaine exports.
AIS tracking data from maritime intelligence provider Pole Star shows that the cocaine likely remained concealed aboard the vessel for an extended period. The ship’s route included port calls in Manzanillo, Mexico; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Matarani, Peru; and an anchorage near Panama City—all major nodes in the global cocaine trade.
After crossing the Pacific, the vessel made additional stops at Dangjin’s Hyundai steel terminal in South Korea, Wushan Port in inland China, Zhapu International Harbor in Hangzhou Bay, and finally Okgye. These are highly unusual destinations for cocaine trafficking, due to harsh local penalties. China, for example, imposes capital punishment on foreign drug smugglers. South Korean law also carries heavy prison sentences for drug-related crimes.
Despite the risks, this seizure suggests traffickers are exploring less conventional and riskier routes to distribute cocaine. South Korea’s strict laws and minimal domestic demand have historically made it an unlikely target for large-scale smuggling operations, but this bust could mark a turning point.
Authorities continue to investigate the ship’s crew and port call history to determine how the drugs were loaded and concealed, and whether any crew members were complicit. As global trafficking networks adapt, the challenge for law enforcement is to stay one step ahead.
