Considered the Most Powerful Surviving Gangster Boss in South Korea
Shin Sang-hyun, a first-generation gangster famously known as 'Shin Sang-sa' who once dominated the Myeongdong area in Seoul, passed away at the age of 92 around 5 a.m. on the 10th.
Born in Seoul in 1932, Shin earned the nickname 'Shin Sang-sa' while serving as a first sergeant in a special unit in Daegu during the Korean War. Afterward, he moved to Seoul and formed a violent organization. During his lifetime, Shin was active in the same era as Kim Du-han, Lee Jung-jae, and Sirasoni (real name Lee Seong-soon), and was regarded as the 'most powerful surviving gangster in South Korea.'
In September 1958, he was arrested for the 'Chungjeongno Axe Incident,' and after his release, he rebuilt his organization in the mid-1960s. He controlled Myeongdong and operated as the boss of the Shin Sang-sa faction until the 1970s. This was before gangsters armed with switchblades appeared.
Monthly JoongAng reporter Han Ki-hong described Shin in his memoir “How Can You Break Flowers with Fists” (2013) as having "excellent kicking skills, lightning-fast preemptive attacks, and an outstanding ability to decisively and boldly stab the opponent’s eyes and strike vital points." Legendary fighters from Masan, such as Gu Dal-woong and former Segi Promotion chairman Seo Soon-jong, were under his command.
Shin earned income by operating a tourist hotel casino in cooperation with the Japanese Yakuza. However, because he avoided involvement in drugs, his Myeongdong organization reportedly suffered little damage even during President Roh Tae-woo’s 'War on Crime' in the 1990s.
Unlike other gangsters, Shin remained visible even in his old age. He gave interviews to the media and published memoirs. After the 2003 hit drama “Rustic Period,” which depicted stories of first-generation gangsters like Kim Du-han, he frequently reminisced about the era of first-generation gangsters. He also recalled that after the 'Savoy Hotel Incident' in January 1975, when the Shin Sang-sa faction was attacked by the Beom Ho-nam faction led by Cho Yang-eun, he readily accepted their apology and signed a settlement agreement.
At Shin’s daughter’s wedding in 2009, over 4,000 attendees included Lee Kang-hwan, the boss of the Chilseong faction and the real-life model for the movie “Friend,” as well as executives from the Japanese Yakuza. Later, Shin attended Lee Kang-hwan’s 80th birthday party in 2022 and continued to attend acquaintances’ weddings until last year.
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