Jeonju District Court Sentences Three Gang Members to Prison Terms with Probation, ‘[Jeonju=Newsis] Reporter Kang Kyung-ho reports: Gang members who flaunted their influence by gathering their associates when they got into a scuffle with another gang member have been sentenced to imprisonment.’,
The Jeonju District Court’s Criminal Division 12 (Chief Judge Kim Do-hyung) announced on the 26th that it sentenced gang member A (31) to 1 year and 6 months in prison, and B (26) to 1 year, for charges including violations of the Act on Punishment of Violences, etc. (organization and activities of groups), among others. Additionally, C (26) received a sentence of 1 year in prison with a 2-year probation.
In July 2021, A, B, and C got embroiled in a conflict with gang member D (28) of another organization in front of a cafe in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, and were put on trial for gathering their associates to demonstrate power.
A incidentally encountered D’s group in front of a cafe near his residence, and a dispute arose when they commented on his tattoos, calling him a gangster.
As the confrontation escalated, D punched A in the face. Angered, A instructed his subordinates, “Bring the boys to the cafe now.”
Following the orders, B, C, and other gang members surrounded D and demonstrated their influence by intimidating him.
However, upon realizing D was affiliated with a different gang, both parties hesitated for the conflict to escalate into a gang fight, and eventually dispersed after resolving the situation through dialogue.
Nevertheless, the court pointed out that gathering gang members to show force is inherently dangerous, even if no fight occurred.
The court stated, “Criminal organizations formed for violent crimes are inherently dangerous due to their violence and collective nature. Engaging in various violent and property crimes by leveraging the gang’s influence causes serious harm to innocent citizens and instills fear in a healthy society, making the formation and activities of such gangs highly reprehensible.”
The court further noted, “A actively led the crime by instructing the gathering of gang members, and the other defendants responded to and executed this instruction, indicating poor nature of the crime. However, the sentence was determined considering the short time involved in confrontation, the lack of actual violence beyond demonstrating power, and the fact that D did not wish for their punishment.”