South Korea’s prosecutor general has issued a directive calling for stern measures against organized criminal groups. (Image courtesy of Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office)
SEOUL, Jun. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s prosecutor general has issued a directive calling for stern measures against organized criminal groups, citing growing public concerns over not just traditional gang violence but also newer forms of racketeering like illegal online gambling and private lending rackets.
According to sources from legal circles, Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok has instructed prosecutors across the nation to “respond sternly to threatening organized crimes against citizens.”
Lee noted that while past gang activity centered around extortion and violence in entertainment districts, “These days, people in their 20s and 30s are rapidly forming organizations for economic gain, recruiting numerous members in a short period.”
He warned that criminal syndicates are “rapidly emerging as new criminal forces in our society” by branching into “new types of crimes like operating online gambling sites, illegal private lending, stock price manipulation groups and investment fraud scams.”
The top prosecutor emphasized a “zero-tolerance principle,” ordering mandatory detention investigations not just for traditional crimes like violence and extortion but also for new criminal methods. He instructed a thorough probe into not only lower-level members carrying out violence and crimes on the ground but also the masterminds behind the scenes “giving instructions, conspiring and participating.”
At the trial stage, Lee called for aggressive sentencing recommendations. “If it’s detected that they attempted to force settlements or make overtures to victims, demand even harsher sentences,” he said, adding that appeals should be filed if punishments fall short.
The directive also stressed protecting and supporting victims of gang crimes while thoroughly tracing and confiscating any illegal criminal proceeds.
The instructions reflect a recent surge in cases where criminal organizations have jeopardized public safety and targeted ordinary citizens’ assets. Prosecutors are investigating incidents like a mass brawl between gangs in Busan’s Haeundae district, a gang’s revenge assault on citizens in downtown Incheon, and the alleged operation of gambling sites and money laundering by gang members in Gwangju and Seoul.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
