A young farmer receiving government subsidies was caught using his greenhouse as a drug cultivation facility, the Korea Coast Guard said Thursday.
The Central Regional Coast Guard Agency said it arrested a man in his 40s, identified only as "A," on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act and referred him to the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office. A is accused of cultivating 12 cannabis plants and manufacturing and selling 3.96 kilograms of marijuana at a greenhouse in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, from September 2024 until recently. The seized marijuana is valued at approximately 600 million won ($441,000), an amount sufficient for 7,920 people to smoke simultaneously.
The Coast Guard's narcotics investigation unit launched its probe in cooperation with the National Intelligence Service and Incheon Customs after detecting signs that A had imported cannabis cultivation equipment from overseas. The greenhouse appeared indistinguishable from an ordinary smart farm facility on the outside, but concealed a sealed room partitioned with panels inside. Investigators found that A had learned cultivation techniques through overseas cannabis-growing websites and YouTube videos.
The investigation revealed that A was selected in 2023 as a beneficiary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "Young Farmer Settlement Support Program" and had received low-interest loans of approximately 280 million won and monthly settlement subsidies of around 1 million won until the time of his arrest. The program, a flagship policy of the agriculture ministry, provides independent young farmers aged 18 to 39 with monthly subsidies of up to 1.1 million won for up to three years and startup funding of up to 500 million won. A total of 5,000 farmers were selected nationwide in 2024. In effect, agricultural infrastructure built with public funds was repurposed as a drug manufacturing facility.
The Coast Guard seized seven additional cannabis plants under cultivation during searches of A's greenhouse and residence. Accomplices, including sellers and buyers of cannabis seeds, have been identified and booked, and authorities are investigating the full distribution network. "We will do our utmost to root out narcotics smuggling, distribution and cultivation crimes conducted through maritime channels," a Central Regional Coast Guard Agency official said.