Thirty-nine members of the 'Jinseong faction', which has been engaged in organized violence in the southwestern area of Seoul, including Geumcheon District in Seoul and Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province, were arrested by the police. They gathered former boxing and judo players to set up a communal residence in Seoul where they committed various illegal acts such as gang violence and prostitution.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Criminal Mobile Unit announced on the 17th that they arrested 39 members of the 'Jinseong faction' on charges of violating Article 4 of the Act on the Punishment of Violent Acts, which concerns 'organizations and their activities', and that 9 of them were detained. Including 6 other affiliated members, the total number of those arrested is 45. The police are continuing their investigations into 2 Jinseong faction members who fled overseas. Twenty-four members of the Jinseong faction, 4 members of other organizations, and 2 other followers are expected to be sent to court without detention this month.
According to police, they grew their ranks by targeting local high school graduates, with the core being athletes from speculative sports or existing violent organizations, who invited them to join by saying, 'We will help you make money.' Through living together in the residence, they learned the hierarchy of the organization and participated in crimes under the direction of leaders such as the action leader.
The action leader, Mr. A, who was detained this time, recruited 20 people into the Jinseong faction from October 2018 to last December. Targets included former boxing and judo players, members of local violent organizations, and those notorious for fighting during high school, known as 'Jjang.' They continued their activities as a violent organization while staying in a communal residence in the southwestern area of Seoul.
While investigating a special robbery incident involving a gallery representative in October 2023, the police tracked down an individual assisting a suspect in fleeing, thereby revealing the existence of the 'Jinseong faction's communal residence.' They subsequently expanded the investigation, uncovering the organization's full extent.
The Jinseong faction is said to have been first organized in 1983 when members from the same middle and high school came together. It has recently been active primarily among those born in the 1980s. Investigations revealed their involvement in crimes such as gambling sites, margin trading, prostitution solicitation, and illegal distribution of SIM cards. During this process, they also used automatic deletion features on social media (SNS) such as Telegram to evade investigation.
The Jinseong faction collected a total of 1.1 billion won by receiving support from its members ranging from 200,000 to 1 million won every month to prepare for the detainees' fines and settlements, and provided hideouts to members under investigation or funds for fleeing to avoid surveillance.
There was also a 'code of conduct' within the organization. It enforced obedience through a code that included 'subservience to senior members', 'oath of loyalty to the organization', and 'instructions for evading investigation.' They operated a separate 'emergency strike team' in preparation for clashes with other organizations, while ensuring physical clashes by keeping weapons, fire extinguishers, and baseball bats on hand.