New hallucinogenic drug found in South Korea

The National Forensic Service (NFS) announced on Tuesday that it had detected a new type of narcotic that had never been reported and identified its chemical structure. This drug was found to have a similar chemical structure to ketamine, which has been spreading globally.

The new type of narcotic discovered by NFS is ‘2-Fluoro-2-oxo-PCPR,’ a type of phencyclidine (PCP) with strong hallucinogenic effects. Phencyclidine is a powerful hallucinogenic drug nicknamed ‘angel dust.’ Intoxication can lead to hallucinations, delusions, and violent behavior. Ketamine, an animal anesthetic widely prevalent in South Korea and the United States, is also a type of phencyclidine.

Analysis of the drug commenced at the end of last month through an investigation by Cheonan Seobuk Police Station in Chungnam Province. At the time, it was discovered that the white powdered drug that the police had acquired was distributed through the so-called ‘tossing method’ of trading concealed drugs using Telegram, etc. The NFS analyzed the ingredients upon request from the police, but results showed that the chemical structure did not match with any narcotics known. “When the first test results came out, we initially thought that it wasn’t a drug because it did not match any existing drugs. Considering that it was distributed through the typical ‘tossing method’ of drug trafficking, however, we began analyzing its chemical structure. It was revealed that it was a new drug that has not been listed on any database in the world,” explained an official from the NFS.

According to the NFS, these drugs have a chemical structure similar to the drugs detected in a recent crime that involved the death of a police officer falling from an apartment building and a group drug gathering that occurred in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in 2023. The drugs detected in the deceased police officer’s home at the time were identified as ‘2-fluoro-2-oxo-PCI.' “A well-known trait of new drugs is that they become prevalent by slightly modifying chemical structures, evading regulations,” said an official at NFS.

While the NFS was analyzing the drugs, multiple requests for analysis of the drug in question were received all over the country, including Seoul, Incheon, Suwon, Gyeonggi, and Jeonbuk Province. The NFS plans to share research results with relevant organizations at home and abroad to promote quick action and to submit a paper containing related content to an international SCI-level academic journal.


전혜진기자 sunrise@donga.com