Hearts2Hearts has been appointed the first youth anti-drug campaign ambassadors by South Korea's Supreme Prosecutors' Office

The situation
Hearts2Hearts has been appointed as the first youth anti-drug campaign ambassadors by South Korea's Supreme Prosecutors' Office, following a rise in drug distribution via social media among teenagers. The group will participate in promotional videos and events for approximately three months. This appointment comes as the number of teenage drug offenders has increased, with the proportion of teenagers among offenders rising from 2.6% in 2022 to 4.1% this year.

What the internet did with it

• — "this is a bit of a *사이다* (a situation where something is both surprising and unsurprising at the same time, *사이다* literally means 'cider' but is used to describe a sense of irony or inevitability) given the prosecution's history with idol ambassadors," referencing past controversies with 2NE1 and Big Bang.
• The Ministry of Justice has faced criticism for appointing idol groups as ambassadors in the past, including the 2010 appointment of 2NE1, which was marred by a scandal involving member Park Bom's attempted smuggling of amphetamine tablets.
• A junior prosecutor criticized the appointment, stating that it does not align with the organization's current atmosphere, given the prosecution's loss of investigative authority and ongoing political controversies.

The open question
The effectiveness of Hearts2Hearts' appointment as ambassadors in preventing teenage drug crimes remains to be seen, but more pressing is the question of how the group will navigate the prosecution's tumultuous current state and potential backlash from past controversies. The group's activity period will be closely watched to see if they can make a positive impact despite the challenges surrounding their appointment.

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