Many Provisions Mandate Unconditional Obedience to Seniors' Wishes
"Always obey the seniors' words unconditionally."
In a case involving members of a violent organization in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, who were brought to trial over a simple dispute, the specific code of conduct of the organization was revealed.
On the 26th, Yonhap News cited the verdict from the 12th Criminal Division of the Jeonju District Court (Chief Judge Kim Do-hyung) to report on this organizational code. The code was filled with clauses demanding unconditional obedience to seniors, reflecting the archaic culture of existing violent organizations.
The A violent organization is based in Jeonju and is known to have been formed by several individuals who worked as managers and others in entertainment establishments during the 1980s. The organization adopted the motto of "promoting camaraderie among members and mutual benefit" and created a code of conduct that all members must follow to manage the organization.
This included rules such as "Respect seniors as if they were the sky," "Do not smoke in front of seniors," and "Bow at a 45-degree angle to direct seniors and at a 90-degree angle to higher-ranking superiors, showing proper etiquette."
Members also implicitly learned a rule to "dominate rival organizations using weapons and blunt instruments if necessary to seize leadership in the violent world" while roaming around a hotel and sauna in the city. The incident occurred because of this rule.
B (31), a member of this violent organization, after being hit once in the face following a dispute with an action squad member of another organization, called six members to surround the opponent. Since the location was in front of a coffee shop, it did not escalate into a large-scale violent incident, but loud shouting ensued and a standoff continued for some time.
Eventually, B and two other main perpetrators were brought to trial on charges of violating the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts, etc. (formation and activities of groups).
The court sentenced B to 1 year and 6 months in prison, and the other two involved members received sentences of 1 year in prison and 1 year in prison with 2 years probation, respectively.
The court pointed out, "Criminal organizations are inherently dangerous due to their violent and collective nature. Moreover, when they commit various violent and property crimes based on their organizational power, they cause serious harm to many innocent citizens."
It added, "However, in this case, considering that the defendants did not actively confront the opponent for a long time and did not commit violence other than demonstrating force, the sentences were determined accordingly."
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