Showing Tattoos and SNS Activities... The 'MZ Jopok' Activity Zone is Online

Organized Crime Last Year: 63% Under Age 30
Violence Decreases, Gambling-Related Crimes Increase
"Police Investigations and Responses Must Also Change"

On the 20th, a group causing a disturbance at a restaurant in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk, for being stopped from drunken behavior was apprehended. They were detained and sent to prosecution on charges of obstruction of business and property damage after removing their clothes and exposing tattoos for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, damaging chairs and signboards.

One of them, a man in his 20s, was identified as belonging to a violent gang in the Cheongju area. A representative from the Chungbuk Police Agency's Criminal Mobile Unit stated, "Recently, young gangsters have been gathering, exposing their tattoos while taking 'selfies,' and committing crimes that exert power over unspecified many in public places, which has become a social issue," adding, "We will strictly crack down on violent crimes that threaten residents' safety."

A gangster who caused a disturbance at a restaurant in Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk, has been arrested.
[Photo by Chungbuk Police Agency]

Rapid Increase in Crimes Among the Younger Generation... New Responses Needed

As crimes by so-called 'MZ gangs,' mainly composed of the younger generation, continue to rise, the police have launched special crackdowns. MZ gangs expand their influence primarily through social networking services (SNS) online and engage in new types of intelligent crimes such as illegal stock trading rooms, which differ from traditional violent organizations, indicating the need for new approaches.

According to the National Police Agency on the 25th, the number of people arrested for organized violent crimes last year was 3,272, a 16.2% increase compared to 2,817 in 2020, four years ago. Among them, those aged 30 or younger accounted for 2,073 (63.4%), more than half. Next were those in their 40s with 770 (23.5%) and those 50 and older with 429 (13.1%).

Looking at crime types, traditional gang crimes such as violence decreased, while gambling and other speculative crimes increased significantly. The proportion of 'speculative business' among arrested gang members last year was 17.9%, more than double the 8.6% in 2020. Conversely, the rate of 'violent acts' was 32.5%, down from 43.5% in 2020. A police official explained, "With the rise of new corporate and intelligent crimes such as illegal stock trading rooms and unlisted stock fraud, the proportion of speculative crimes is increasing annually," adding, "Overall, there is a trend of shifting from traditional crimes like violence and extortion to intelligent crimes."

Experts' Recommendations for Responding to New Crime Patterns

The National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency plans to conduct a special crackdown on organized violent crimes for four months from the 18th of this month to July 17, focusing on a dedicated investigation team composed of 1,614 members from 341 teams of criminal mobile units and police stations nationwide. The crackdown targets intelligent illegal activities such as illegal lending businesses and shell companies, as well as illegal acts against ordinary citizens such as group assaults and violence at construction sites. In particular, operations of stock trading rooms, unlisted stock fraud, and gambling, classified as new crimes, will be intensively targeted.

Experts point out that investigative response methods must also change according to the altered age groups and crime types of gangs. Unlike past organized crime groups, MZ gangs do not operate as large organizations but tend to form and dissolve alliances based on convenience, indicating the need for new forms of information analysis. Additionally, since they mainly use online spaces such as SNS for crimes, there are calls for establishing legal grounds for related investigations.

Professor Woonghyuk Lee of Konkuk University's Department of Police Science said, "Young organized criminals currently active do not set specific activity areas and operate online, showing tendencies to form and dissolve alliances depending on the situation," adding, "Therefore, past organizational lineages are meaningless, and new forms of information analysis and legal grounds for cyber investigations must be established."