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Cannabis in South Korea is illegal for use as a recreational drug, but has been cultivated as industrial hemp for fabrics since 3000 BCE.

While cannabis use has arisen in South Korea since the 1970s, it remains far less popular than chemical drugs such as methamphetamine; of 11,916 people arrested for drug crimes in 2015, only 1/100 were for cannabis-based drugs.

Early history
Cannabis was an important crop in ancient Korea, with samples of hempen fabric discovered dating back as early as 3000 BCE. The traditional sambe cloth is made from hemp.

Modern history
In the 1970s, cannabis use around US military bases in South Korea drew attention to a growing problem. Cannabis was banned under the Cannabis Control Act of 1976.

Industrial hemp
Cannabis has been a source of fabric for Korea since ancient times, and as recently as the 1930s hemp was grown in every province of Korea, particularly in the south where it grew best. In the late 1950s, 9,000 hectares of hemp were cultivated in South Korea.

Economy
A Korea Times article of 2014 noted that despite risks of a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won ($46,500), cannabis could be easily bought in South Korea by contacting dealers on the internet. Its journalist noted that according to dealers, cannabis sold for US$30-50 per gram.

K-Pop
A number of high profile K-Pop stars have been prosecuted for the recreational use of marijuana. Notable entertainers arrested for cannabis usage include Kim Kye-Hoon, better known by his rap name, Crown J, singer songwriter Psy, and BigBang's T.O.P. The celebrities received a variety of sentences, with prison time ranging from 25 days to 10 months.

Along with legal action, societal backlash against the disgraced stars is often swift and serious. After T.O.P. was arrested for possession and usage of marijuana, his record label YG Entertainment became widely referred to as Yak Guk (Hangul: 약국) Entertainment, which translates to "the drugstore." With an average of 40 months following a drug related scandal for a Korean entertainer to return to the stage, K-Pop stars arrested for using cannabis have a difficult time regaining their lost stardom.