Organized Crime in South Korea
Organized crime was widespread in South Korea during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The criminal syndicates controlled large parts of the South Korean entertainment scene, as well politics, and the media. The common modus operandi of the South Korean mafia included racketeering, prostitution, loan sharking, money laundering, such as through construction, and gambling. However in 1990, the South Korean government announced a war against organized crime, which resulted in the incarceration of thousands of South Korean mafiosos and mob bosses. However South Korean gangs transformed themselves into business corporations, and started expansion in 1997 as South Korea fell victim to the East Asian Financial Crisis.
Current activities of the South Korean mafia include extortion, prostitution, illegal goods (drugs, guns), money laundering, such as through construction or fisheries, loan sharking, kidnappings, and night club management. The South Korean mafia has a larger presence in smaller towns and cities, where the government and police influence is less common. The South Korean mafia also has strong ties with the Japanese yakuza, as well as the Russian mafia.
South Korean mafiosos often have tattoos of the pa (English: mob) they are in. When confronted by other mobs, they show their tattoos to help identify themselves. The tattoo can also be used as a warning to the general public. As a result, tattoos are often considered taboo in South Korean society.
The stereotypical image of the quintessential South Korean mafioso is one with a gakdoogi hairstyle, which consists of the sides of the head shaved, with hair remaining on top, a big build, dark, black clothing, tacky suits, black-painted luxury cars, prominent tattoos, and regional accents or dialects (Korean: Saturi). Contrary to popular belief, Seoul is not a known hotbed of South Korean mob presence. The most prominent organizations of the South Korean mafia operate in the Jeolla region, in cities such as Gwangju and Mokpo, with other South Korean mafiosos known to be operating in Busan and Incheon.
Read more about this topic: Kkangpae
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