Among 4 Arrested Gangsters, 3 Are from the 'MZ Generation'... Their Proportion Is Also Increasing

Police to Intensify Crackdown on Organized Crime in Second Half
1,183 Arrested, 189 Detained

‘Jeongukhoe’, a newly formed violent organization established with the aim of becoming a nationwide gang, was first organized in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. At their initial meeting, a dispute broke out between gang members from the Chungcheong region and those from the Gyeonggi region, leading to a ‘brawl’. They struck each other’s heads with dangerous objects and caused havoc by breaking interior fixtures in a bar before being apprehended by the police. Most of those arrested were born in 2002, young gangsters commonly referred to as the ‘MZ gang’.

Among the four gangsters arrested by the police in the second half of this year, three were from the MZ generation. The proportion of the MZ generation among all gangsters is on the rise.

The National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters announced the results of the ‘Second Half Organized Crime Crackdown’ conducted from August 7 to the 16th of this month on the 20th. Through this crackdown, the police arrested a total of 1,183 individuals, of whom 189 were detained. Additionally, they took pre-indictment seizure and confiscation measures on criminal proceeds amounting to 5.46 billion KRW.

Looking at the arrested individuals by age group, those aged 30 and under (teens to 30s) accounted for the largest number with 888 people (75.0%), followed by 210 people in their 40s (17.8%), and 85 people aged 50 and above (7.2%). Notably, the proportion of the MZ generation aged 30 and under (75%) has significantly increased compared to the crackdown results in the first half of this year (57.8%).

Before implementing the intensive crackdown, the police conducted a thorough survey of online and offline trends centered on the MZ generation, and based on this, each city and provincial police agency established tailored response plans to enhance effectiveness.

By criminal record, 509 individuals (43.0%) were repeat offenders with nine or more convictions, 432 (36.4%) had between one and four convictions, and 242 (20.6%) had between five and eight convictions. By crime type, 520 individuals (44.0%) were involved in corporate and intelligent illegal activities, 310 (26.1%) in illegal acts targeting ordinary citizens such as violence and extortion, 254 (21.5%) in gang membership and activities, and 99 (8.4%) in other crimes.

In particular, among the MZ generation, 396 individuals (38.8%) were involved in corporate and intelligent illegal activities, 246 (27.7%) in gang membership and activities, 189 (21.3%) in illegal acts targeting ordinary citizens such as violence and extortion, and 56 (6.3%) in other crimes. The police plan to continue crackdowns as the proportion of arrests related to forming new organizations or joining and participating in existing violent organizations is higher than traditional gang crimes targeting ordinary citizens.

Furthermore, through this crackdown, the police took pre-indictment seizure and confiscation measures on criminal proceeds amounting to 5.46 billion KRW, which is 3.3 times higher than the same period last year.

A National Police Agency official stated, “We thoroughly protect the identities of victims and reporters of organized crime, so we urge active reporting.” He added, “We will improve the gang crackdown system to establish a more effective response system against gang crimes, focus investigative capabilities on various forms of organized crimes, and vigorously pursue crackdowns to ensure the safety of the public from gang-related crimes.”

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