Prosecutor General Lee One-seok has declared that he will work with relevant agencies such as the drug safety ministry and the customs service to crack down on drug smuggling and distribution.

In a monthly meeting at the Supreme Prosecutors Office on Friday, Lee pointed to the rapid proliferation of narcotics crimes affecting all age groups, regions and social classes, saying the situation has reached a "critical point" due in part to growing online trade.

The prosecution will join hands with the police, Coast Guard and customs and intelligence authorities to establish a joint response system and conduct an intensive clampdown on drug smuggling and circulation.

According to the office, close to 13-hundred kilograms of illegal drugs were confiscated last year, up eight-fold from 2017, while the number of drug offenders in the first half of this year rose 13-point-four percent on-year to over 85-hundred, with teenage offenders increasing eleven-fold over the past decade due to easy access online.