Environmental Group Leader Arrested for Extorting Tens of Millions of Won at Construction Sites

Filming Illegal Activities at Construction Sites, Complaints Filed to the National Sinmungo... Habitual Extortion Charges

Chungnam Provincial Police Agency building exterior

The head of an environmental organization who extorted tens of millions of won while roaming construction sites in the Chungnam region has been arrested.

The Chungnam Provincial Police Agency announced on the 25th that they are conducting a detention investigation on Mr. A, the head of the environmental organization, on charges of habitual extortion.

Mr. A is accused of extorting 89 million won in membership fees and annual fees from the environmental organization by using advanced equipment such as drones and high-performance cameras to film illegal activities at construction sites from March 2017 to August 2023, and threatening by filing complaints through the National Petition System.

Mr. A exploited the fact that complaints can be filed anonymously, and it was revealed that he had filed hundreds of anonymous complaints if construction companies did not join the environmental organization.

According to the police investigation, Mr. A had previously been punished for extorting money from construction companies by abusing his position as the head of an environmental organization, but he continued the crimes after moving to a new environmental organization.

A representative of the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency said, "We will continue the investigation to see if there are additional extortion acts," and added, "We will ensure that such illegal activities do not recur at construction sites."