Young criminals account for 75%
The National Bureau of Investigation of South Korea recently announced that it had arrested 1,183 people in a crime crackdown that lasted from August 7 to December 16, 2023, up 44.6% from the same period last year. Of these, 75% were between the ages of 10 and 39, 17.8% were between 40 and 49, and 7.2% were between 50 and 59. According to Yonhap news agency, the figures suggest that the rate of juvenile crime is increasing in South Korea.
A group of young criminals in Korea
SEOUL POLICE DEPARTMENT
The National Police Agency (NPA) said that young people have a high tendency to form new gangs or join existing gangs.
The Korea Herald quoted law enforcement sources as saying that young criminals appear to have changed their criminal behavior compared to the older generation, with many cases involving online betting, scams and fraud.
Police said nearly 40% of the charges against those arrested were related to illegal and complex businesses such as managing online betting sites while just over 21% of the charges involved extortion and violence.
Gang members in Korea
SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT PROSECUTORS' OFFICE
Gangsters Get Into Action
Young criminals are joining gangs more out of interest than out of sectarianism, experts said at a workshop aimed at helping prosecutors handle these crimes.
"Authorities need to re-evaluate the purpose of these organised crime groups and find ways to respond to such criminal activity," The Times quoted the workshop as saying.
According to The Korea Herald , gangs fighting each other for territory and influence is a thing of the past, as the younger generation of criminals realize that confrontation puts their gangs at risk of disintegration.
"These days, there are rarely gang wars. Instead, they cooperate with a mutually beneficial strategy, with many groups entering into illegal deals together," the newspaper quoted a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office as saying.
These groups are said to often choose locations to share information about illegal business such as lending and fraud. The subjects will send representatives to attend such meetings, often accompanied by drinking and taking photos to post on social media. Investigators believe that posting photos online to show off influence is becoming popular among young gangs.
A gang members party in Korea
SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT PROSECUTORS' OFFICE
An NPA spokesman said the agency would strengthen the establishment of a more effective crime response system and focus on investigative capabilities against a wide range of organised crime gangs and young offenders.
According to Business Insider , citing the Global Organized Crime Index, South Korean authorities have been trying to eradicate all mafia groups since the 1990s, and the few remaining organizations are small in scale and do not control large areas or engage in violent activities. Foreign criminal organizations are also believed to play a major role in South Korea, collaborating with local groups in major cities such as Seoul, Incheon, and Busan.
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