[Exclusive] Four Nonsan High School Students Extort 2.1 Million Won from Peer..."Settlement Payment, Pay on Behalf"

Extorted 2.1 Million Won Over Bicycle Payment
School: "Victim and Perpetrators Immediately Separated... Police Investigation Requested"

It has come to light that four high school students at a high school in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, systematically extorted several million won from a fellow student, causing public outrage.

This follows a recent incident at a high school in Cheongyang, where four students were booked for school violence. With yet another case of extortion emerging, there are growing calls for a comprehensive investigation into the overall situation at schools.

According to an investigation by Asia Economy on June 12, four students attending A High School in Nonsan extorted a total of 2.1 million won in cash from their peer, referred to as Student A, from May until June 11.

The victim, Student A, stated, "Around April, I rode Student B's bicycle, and on June 8, we agreed that I would purchase it for 250,000 won, so I transferred the amount."

However, two other students later claimed, "That bicycle is actually worth 800,000 won, and the 250,000 won that Student A transferred was not for the bicycle but was a settlement payment," and demanded additional money.

Furthermore, it was reported that one of the perpetrators unilaterally demanded a transfer from Student A, insisting that Student A should pay off a debt related to another student's financial dealings.

As a result, Student A made multiple transfers at the perpetrators' demands, with a total of approximately 2.1 million won withdrawn. The victim's side claimed, "They divided roles in advance and approached in an organized manner, and there were also threatening remarks."

It was also revealed that one of the perpetrators recently received a 10-day suspension from school as a disciplinary measure related to school violence.

The four perpetrators are reported to have known each other as seniors and juniors since middle school.

The principal of the school stated, "We have continuously provided school violence prevention education, and for the confirmed incident, we immediately separated the victim and perpetrators in accordance with the school violence manual. We plan to request a police investigation and respond strictly."