Gangnam-gu's comprehensive drug prevention initiative — "From Risk to Prevention: An Integrated Public Safety Model for Addressing Urban Addiction" — has been named an outstanding case at the 7th Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Awards, the district announced. The district is led by Mayor Kim Hyun-ki.
The program earned high marks for transforming a response that had been limited to crackdowns and punishment into a community-centered system linking prevention, early detection, treatment and recovery.
The Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Awards are co-hosted by the city of Guangzhou, United Cities and Local Governments, and Metropolis. Since 2012, the awards have identified exemplary cases of sustainable urban development and public administration innovation. This year, 381 submissions from 248 cities in 60 countries were reviewed, and 30 projects — including Gangnam-gu's — were selected as outstanding cases.
Gangnam-gu is home to a dense concentration of institutions handling medical narcotics. The district has 3,255 such facilities, accounting for 14.5 percent of Seoul's total. Its share of ketamine prescriptions reaches 76 percent of the city's total, and propofol 44 percent. In 2024, the district recorded 817 drug crimes — 26.8 percent of Seoul's citywide total of 3,052 — the highest of any autonomous district in the capital.
Previously, drug-related responses were fragmented across agencies: police handled crackdowns and investigations, public health centers issued administrative sanctions, and medical institutions provided treatment independently. To address this, the district built an integrated response system spanning exposure prevention, anonymous testing, treatment and recovery.
In March 2024, Gangnam-gu revised its ordinance on the prevention of narcotics and drug misuse, establishing a legal foundation for the new framework. That May, it launched the Gangnam-gu Joint Council for Narcotics and Drug Misuse Prevention — the first such body among autonomous districts — bringing together 16 agencies including police, the Korea Customs Service, the district education office and the Korea Medical Association.
The district also operates an anonymous testing service that screens for six types of narcotics for residents who suspect they may have been exposed to drug-related crimes. It runs addiction treatment clinics designated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, allowing residents in need of treatment to receive outpatient care close to home. In partnership with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the district uses big data on medical narcotic usage to inspect healthcare institutions at risk of misuse.
In November 2025, the district opened the Gangnam-gu Addiction Management and Integrated Support Center — the first of its kind in southeastern Seoul. The center expanded its scope to cover four major addiction categories: drugs, gambling, media and alcohol. It provides services ranging from early screening and case management to rehabilitation and public awareness, all under one roof. Built on a partnership with Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, the center operates with a team that includes psychiatrists and representatives from relevant agencies.
Drug crime cases in Gangnam-gu fell about 16 percent, from 972 in 2023 to 817 in 2024. The district said it will not rest on the declining trend and plans to continuously strengthen prevention, treatment and recovery support tailored to the area's characteristics.
"We are proud to have our proactive and integrated approach to drug addiction recognized on the international stage," district mayor Kim said. "We will continue to build a tightly woven system for addiction prevention and management."
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