20s Extortion Gang Chased Drunk Driving Vehicle and Deliberately 'Bumped' to Extract Settlement Money

Police Detain 2, Send 3 to Prosecution Without Detention

A group of people in their 20s who followed a driver leaving a bar and deliberately caused an accident to demand a settlement without calling a designated driver were caught by the police.

On the 4th, the Seobuk Police Station in Cheonan, Chungnam, announced that they had arrested and sent two men in their 20s, A and B, to prosecution on charges of extorting cash by following a drunk driving vehicle, deliberately causing a traffic accident, and threatening to report it to the police (joint extortion under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes). Three accomplices were sent to prosecution without detention.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Police are conducting a drunk driving crackdown. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Mr. A and his group are accused of deliberately ramming a passenger car driven by a drunk driver in front of a nightlife bar in Buldang-dong, Cheonan, around 1 a.m. on December 29, 2022, then demanding money from the driver by pretending to settle the accident. From September 2022 to January last year, they allegedly extorted 64 million won from 17 drunk drivers in the Cheonan and Asan areas of Chungnam.

Mr. A and Mr. B, who were middle school classmates, decided to extort money using this method after their debts increased due to failed investments in stocks and cryptocurrencies. They recruited three more friends and planned the crimes. They divided roles into scouting targets, causing traffic accidents, and confronting drunk drivers to extort money. They committed the crimes late at night in entertainment districts around Cheonan and Asan. When they confirmed that drivers leaving bars did not call a designated driver and drove themselves, they followed them in their own passenger cars and deliberately caused accidents. Then, they threatened the drivers by pretending they would report the drunk driving to the police and demanded settlement money.

Meanwhile, crimes using similar methods continue unabated. In January, a group that divided roles such as inducing drunk driving and causing minor collisions to extort money from acquaintances was investigated by the police. In January, the Seobu Police Station in Gwangju arrested a man in his 30s, Mr. C, on charges of joint extortion and booked two others in their 20s, including Mr. D, a friend of Mr. C, without detention. They planned and executed a scheme to induce drunk driving by a 40-year-old Mr. E, an acquaintance of Mr. D, and extort settlement money for a deliberate collision.

After drinking with Mr. E at a restaurant in Gwangju, Mr. D induced drunk driving by asking to be driven home and got into the vehicle. Mr. C, who was waiting nearby with another accomplice, followed Mr. E’s car as it passed an intersection and deliberately hit the passenger side bumper. Immediately after the accident, Mr. C got out of the car and demanded 30 million won from Mr. E, saying, "I won’t report your drunk driving to the police if you pay the settlement." However, Mr. C’s group later reported Mr. E’s drunk driving accident to the police and demanded another settlement, telling Mr. E that if he did not submit a medical certificate, he would face lighter punishment. Eventually, their crimes were uncovered by the police, who found the situation suspicious.

A police official urged, "Never get behind the wheel after drinking, and if you become a victim of demands for money following a deliberate traffic accident, please actively report it to the police."