Special Crackdown on 'Street Thugs' Around Daily Life... 474 Arrested, 22 Detained

Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency building exterior

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] As a result of a special crackdown on street thugs by the Jeonnam police, middle-aged individuals in their 40s and 50s accounted for 53.8%, more than half, and the recidivism rate was found to be high, with 71.7% being repeat offenders.

The Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency announced on the 8th that they conducted a special crackdown on thugs who habitually commit violent acts around daily life areas such as streets, arresting 474 people, of whom 22 were detained.

The police focused on identifying those who habitually harassed small merchants and neighboring residents over the two months from September 1 to October 31.

In this crackdown, the police actively communicated with local residents by operating reporting and consultation desks at each police station to encourage reporting and tips on crimes that had previously gone unreported due to fear of retaliation.

In particular, even minor cases such as simple assault were strictly handled through comprehensive and multidimensional investigations.

In Hwasun, a suspect was detained for committing violence against customers and small merchants by grabbing and twisting an arm over refusal to pay a bar tab at a store in August.

In Gwangyang, a man was detained on charges including obstruction of business, assault, property damage, and extortion for threatening by breaking soju bottles and assaulting small merchants in the market from June to early October.

In Suncheon, a man who caused disturbances at welfare centers and pubs from August to September was detained on charges of assault, obstruction of business, and property damage.

Regarding the types of crimes detected, violent acts accounted for 62.8%, the majority, followed by obstruction of business and property damage (14.2%), obstruction of official duties (11%), threats, etc. (6.5%), dine and dash (3.1%), and others (2%).

By age group, 40s (28.7%), 50s (25.1%), and 60 and above (20.9%) were the main groups. Among the 474 individuals, 154 (32.5%) had 1 to 5 prior convictions, and 186 (39.2%) had 6 or more, indicating a high recidivism rate.

A Jeonnam police official stated, “We plan to strictly respond to chronic and malicious violent acts to alleviate citizens’ anxiety, and continue to strengthen cooperation and communication with local residents to realize community safety.”

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