The government held an anti-narcotics meeting on Friday and discussed ways to effectively manage the drug fentanyl.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination said the meeting, chaired by its minister Bang Moon-kyu, inspected the implementation of comprehensive oversight measures announced in April with a particular focus given to fentanyl, which has become a serious social issue especially in the U.S.

The opioid pain medicine is dubbed the zombie drug as even a tiny amount can cause hallucination and abnormal behavior.

The office said that two thirds of some 100-thousand people who died from overdose in the U.S. in 2021 are believed to have been addicted to fentanyl.

The latest meeting discussed expanding personnel and budget for narcotics-related investigation, addiction treatment and rehabilitation.

Bang said South Korea is at a critical crossroads and the government will do its best so the country regains its drug-free status.