'Golf Clubs, Steel Pipes, Baseball Bats...' Brutal Group Brawl in the Heart of the City

Brawl Over Protection Money Payment in Parking Lot
23 Arrested, 40 Released Without Detention
Mostly Factory and Farm Workers Staying 1-2 Years in Korea

Dozens of Koryoin were involved in a mass brawl at a parking lot in Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam Province on the afternoon of the 20th of last month. Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] About 60 Koreans from the former Soviet Union involved in a collective brawl over protection money in Gimhae were arrested by the police.

On the 6th, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency announced that they had arrested the ringleader and 23 others on charges including violation of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Crimes, and booked 40 others without detention.

The incident occurred around 10:15 PM on June 20th in a parking lot in Buwon-dong, Gimhae City, where two groups engaged in a fistfight.

The brawl involving about 60 people, including 37 members of Group A and 26 members of Group B, was discovered and stopped by patrolling police officers within about two minutes of its start.

Some fled the scene.

The groups used blunt weapons such as baseball bats, golf clubs, iron pipes, and wooden sticks.

During the brawl, two individuals of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan nationality sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment at a hospital.

Dozens of Koryoin were involved in a group brawl in a parking lot in Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam Province on the afternoon of the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The location of the brawl was in the heart of the city near Gimhae City Hall, a densely populated area, which led to multiple police reports from witnesses.

Group A is an organized group based in the Seoul metropolitan area, while Group B mainly operates in Busan and Gyeongnam.

Police investigations revealed that they had stayed in Korea for 1 to 2 years and were mostly workers employed in factories and farms.

Among them, 7 to 8 individuals had prior assault records in their home countries.

The police formed a joint investigation team of about 100 officers in 16 teams to track down and arrest those involved.

According to the investigation, except for two illegal immigrants, the rest were legally residing in Korea with visas such as the F-4 Overseas Korean visa.

Depending on the trial results, they will either remain in Korea after review by the Ministry of Justice or be deported forcibly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.