'Ddapokyeon' Followed by 'Jipokyeon'... Independence Day Rampage Forecast

As of the 9th, 17 Members Recruited for 'Jipokyeon'
Membership Requirements Include Ability to Perform 'Kalchigi' and 'Warigari'

The operator of the so-called 'Ddapokyeon (Ddareungi Reckless Union),' known for reckless driving using shared bicycles and shared electric kickboards, has been apprehended, while an imitation group has announced a mass reckless driving event on Liberation Day.

According to personal mobility (PM) shared service platform Ziku on the 15th, a 'Jipokyeon (Zikooter Reckless Union)' account, imitating Ddapokyeon, recently appeared on social media (SNS). On the 9th, they began recruiting members, saying, "We will catch up with the Ddapokyeon brothers."

Police are cracking down at Seongsu Station in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th, when the so-called "Ddarungi Rampage Alliance" (Ddarokyeon), known for reckless driving on Seoul's public bicycles "Ddarungi," announced a gathering in downtown Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The account operator announced through a membership recruitment post at 12:37 PM on the 9th that 17 members had gathered.

The joining conditions stated that members must be capable of 'kalchigi' (cutting in sharply to change lanes and overtake) and 'warigari' (zigzag driving). There was no age restriction, and personal motorcycles, kickboards, or bicycles could also be used. They added, "Just don't get caught by the police. Even if caught, we take no responsibility," and "Move swiftly in formation and memorize the pre-announced route to follow it exactly."

Through a separate account called 'Jipokyeon Daegu,' they announced a reckless driving rally using traditional kickboards in the Daegu area at dawn on Liberation Day. They posted on Instagram Stories, "8/15 is approaching," and "Let's do a reckless drive at Daegu ○○."

Zibike, the operator of Ziku, is running a special response team and has decided that if group reckless driving reports or special police requests are received in Daegu City, Pohang City, and Seoul City?where Ddapokyeon activities have taken place?device operation in those areas will be immediately suspended. Additionally, to prepare for reckless driving nationwide, operations will be suspended if any abnormal signs occur even in areas not considered high-risk.

Yoon Jong-su, CEO of Zibike, said, "We are closely monitoring movements like Ddapokyeon that recently cause public anxiety," adding, "We will respond strictly to behaviors that threaten citizens and actively cooperate with the police to eradicate reckless driving groups."

The 'Ddapokyeon' they imitated is a group that plans reckless driving activities using bicycles and kickboards in downtown Seoul, posting videos of reckless driving that threaten pedestrian safety and passage on sidewalks on SNS.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Traffic Safety Division launched a crackdown following numerous citizen reports and apprehended the operator of 'Ddapokyeon' on the 8th. The account operator was a male high school student.

Subsequently, all reckless driving-related posts on the 'Ddapokyeon' account were deleted, and an apology was posted. The apology stated, "We apologize to the citizens and police officers who suffered due to inappropriate actions and are sorry for causing discomfort by showing posts that were not in a good direction," and "We will never do such things again and will accept punishment."

A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official said, "Although the student is still a minor, as news related to Ddapokyeon was intensively reported in the media, large-scale police forces were mobilized last weekend, and reports of social anxiety and concerns surged, we are reviewing the application of laws such as special threats under the Criminal Act from various angles."