Prosecutors Indict 8 Members of Gunsan's Two Major Gangs for Retaliatory Assault

30-Year Power Struggle Between Grandpa and Baekhakgwan Factions
Forcing Members to Voluntarily Appear and Attempting 'Investigation Negotiations' with Police

Members of the Baekhakgwanpa faction ambushing the residence of rival organization members with baseball bats.
[Photo by Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office Gunsan Branch]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] Eight members of the Gunsan Grandpa and Baekhakgwanpa gangs, who engaged in a series of retaliatory violent acts, have been brought to trial. It was revealed that they assaulted rival gang members with weapons in public places.

The Criminal Division 1 of the Gunsan Branch of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Oh Se-moon) announced on the 8th that five Grandpa gang members and two Baekhakgwanpa gang members were indicted in custody on charges including violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Crimes (joint injury by groups), while one Baekhakgwanpa executive and another person not affiliated with either gang were indicted without detention.

The Grandpa and Baekhakgwanpa gangs, two major violent organizations formed in Gunsan in 1986, have continuously fought for dominance. In August this year, Grandpa gang member A and Baekhakgwanpa gang member B engaged in a verbal dispute on social networking services (SNS), which escalated when A visited B and assaulted him, expanding into a gang conflict.

These gangs displayed their power by visiting the residences of rival gang members armed with baseball bats and committing group assaults, or by carrying out retaliatory group violence in public places.

After receiving the case from the police, the prosecution investigated a total of 14 members from the two gangs and uncovered that the violent acts were not spontaneous but organized and planned retaliatory crimes between violent organizations.

Additionally, during the prosecution's investigation, it was revealed that Baekhakgwanpa executive A visited the police station investigating gang members and attempted to negotiate by requesting the exclusion of charges related to criminal organizations against voluntarily appearing gang members in exchange for cooperation with the investigation.