Prostitution, Group and Retaliatory Assaults... Busan Police Agency Arrests 73 Members of Two Gang Factions, 24 Detained

Five members of gang A and eight members of gang B are fighting in front of a pub in Bujeon-dong, Busanjin-gu.
[Image source=Busan Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Members of two organized crime gangs in the Busan area were arrested in large numbers.

Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 31st that they had arrested 73 members of Gang A and Gang B, who fought for power in downtown entertainment districts and funeral halls and operated illegal businesses such as prostitution.

Twenty-four individuals who led the crimes, including wielding weapons, were detained, while the remaining gang members were booked without detention. The police plan to seize and preserve 120 million KRW in criminal proceeds from six prostitution establishments operated by the gangs before prosecution.

According to the police, the rival organized crime gangs Gang A and Gang B in the region have been competing for territory by recruiting new members over the past few years.

Gang A recruited a total of 14 new members from January 2019 to January 2021, while Gang B brought in 22 members from January 2017 to December 2020.

In May 2021, Gang A committed group assault by wielding weapons against Gang B members on a street in Busan and assaulted members who tried to leave the gang.

In retaliation, Gang B responded with revenge attacks by wielding weapons against Gang A members at a funeral hall in Busan in May 2021 after Gang B members were collectively assaulted with weapons by Gang A.

After obtaining information about retaliatory violence between violent organizations in Busan, the police launched an investigation and arrested 66 members of the two gangs.

Among the arrested, 36 new members of the two gangs were charged with forming a violent organization, and seven organized crime members from the Gyeonggi area who provided shelter to Gang A members who fled to evade police pursuit during the investigation were also arrested on charges of harboring fugitives.

A police official stated, “We will continue to crack down on illegal activities by local gangs and track down and confiscate as much criminal proceeds as possible from illegal businesses that serve as financial sources for violent organizations.”