The state intelligence agency confirmed that a suspect in the August death of a South Korean university student in Cambodia was involved in the production and distribution of drug-laced drinks in Seoul in 2023.

The National Intelligence Service(NIS) made the announcement on Wednesday during a closed-door meeting of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, according to Rep. Lee Seong-kweun, the main opposition People Power Party's(PPP) senior member.

KBS reported last week that a prime suspect in the student's death was also the ringleader of a 2023 scandal in which illicit drugs were smuggled into Seoul's Gangnam District. Nine out of around a dozen students who consumed drinks laced with the substances experienced symptoms, including hallucination.

The spy agency is currently tracking the suspect, and an accomplice in the drug-smuggling case was arrested in Cambodia.

Lee said the NIS first obtained related intelligence three days after the student's death and identified the suspect after eight days.