Thirty-nine members of the 'Jinseongpa' organization, which had been engaging in organized violence activities based in the southwestern part of Seoul, including Geumcheon District and Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province, were arrested by the police. They had assembled former boxing and judo athletes to set up a group house in Seoul, where they committed various illegal acts, including group violence and prostitution facilitation.
The Seoul Police Agency's Criminal Mobile Unit announced on the 17th that they arrested 39 members of the 'Jinseongpa' organization on charges of violating Article 4 of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts (AVP), which pertains to 'the organization and activities of groups,' and detained 9 of them. Including 6 others associated with these individuals, the total number of arrestees reached 45. The police are also continuing their investigation into 2 members of the Jinseongpa organization who fled overseas. Twenty-four Jinseongpa members, 4 members from other organizations, and 2 other followers are expected to be transferred without detention this month.
According to the police, they primarily recruited local high school graduates by offering them the promise that they could make money, led by athletes from speculative sports or existing violent organizations. They learned the organization's hierarchy through life in the group house and participated in crimes under the direction of leaders and senior members.
The recently detained leader A has reportedly recruited 20 members into the Jinseongpa from October 2018 to December of last year. The targets included boxing and judo athletes, members of local violent organizations, and individuals known as 'jang' from their high school fighting days. They continued their activities in the violent organization while staying at a group house in the southwestern area of Seoul.
While investigating a special robbery case involving a gallery representative in October 2023, the police identified the reality of the 'Jinseongpa group house' while tracking individuals who helped the suspect escape. They subsequently expanded their investigation, revealing the organization's full scope.
The Jinseongpa is said to have been formed in 1983 by alumni from the same middle and high schools. Recently, it has been known to be active primarily among individuals born in the 1980s. Investigations revealed that they were involved in crimes related to gambling sites, margin trading, prostitution facilitation, and illegal distribution of SIM cards. In the process, they utilized social media platforms like Telegram, employing automatic deletion features to evade investigations.
To cover the confiscated funds and settlement money of arrested members, the Jinseongpa collected a total of 1.1 billion won by receiving 200,000 to 1 million won in monthly support from its members. They also provided hiding places or escape funds for members who came under investigation, allowing them to evade surveillance.
There was also a 'code of conduct' within the organization. The code included directives such as 'obedience to senior members,' 'loyalty pledges to the organization,' and 'methods for evading investigation,' which encouraged forced compliance. They operated a 'special strike force' in preparation for conflicts with other organizations and maintained weapons such as knives, fire extinguishers, and baseball bats for physical confrontations.