Korean Job Discussion Forums

FistFace · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 7:23 pm Post subject: Gangster troubles

Been noticing a lot of gangster activity in my area.

There are storage areas (garage doors) under some houses here. On more than on occasion, I awoke to see to Mercedes Benz cars on either side of a flat bed truck, unloading stuff very quickly into these garages at 4am. But that's always been there.

A few days ago, there was a fire at an LG clothing store next to the subway station. It happened in the middle of the day, and began with some people running out of the store, followed by an older guy (looked like the owner) coming down the stairs with blood pouring from his head. It looked like the guy got whacked really hard -- not your basic "I bumped my head on the ceiling" type of cut. That's when I noticed smoke coming out of the windows.

Today, my girl and I were walking near the same building, and there was a big protest truck with bullhorns and signs complaining that the place was going to be knocked down for new construction, and people need to fight it... etc. As we were walking past this (it's a long building) four gangsters walked past in black T-shirts. My girlfriend new what they were immediately, by the way they walked and their haircuts. She got behind me right quick. They were going in and out of the various stores, and she assumed they were probably collecting money.

I'm curious if the gangsters have anything to do with the new construction. We recently had some SK and Hyundai stores open in the area, selling soon-to-be-built apartment units. We wonder if that might be the area they are demolishing to build in. I asked her if she thought the gangsters might have been brought in to clear people out, but she didn't think big companies like that would have any affiliation/need for the gangsters (if they are the ones building).

Anyway, I had a motorcycle stolen in that exact area, and two co-workers have had bikes stolen around here too.

Am thinking of moving.

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

i'm pretty sure these chaebol built themselves up by dint of gangster activity. Pretty hard to turn off that hose.

FistFace · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:28 pm Post subject:

Well, I checked on the situation a little more closely.

There were more gangsters. They seem to be watching/protecting the construction workers at they erect scaffolding -- a first step to tearing down the building. They must not want any trouble from the business owners.

I counted at least 7 gangsters that I could see.

I am almost certain that the fire earlier this week in the building next to it had something to do with gangsters, as they are also going in and out of that building too.

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

FistFace · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: Re: Gangster troubles

Ronald · Joined: 14 Feb 2007

It's only a matter of time before that kind of corruption takes over the whole country. I wonder how long open business and fair law will last here. Korea has come up way too fast. Capitalism does not match the culture here. My theory is that South Korea will eventually become more thuggish and corrupt.

The_Eyeball_Kid · Joined: 20 Jun 2007

FistFace · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I agree.

Korea is only a democracy on the surface.

We live closer to Hyewha, but outside of Hansung University station Exit 2 is where the gangsters are. A great many hagwon and universities are around here.

PeteJB · Joined: 06 Jul 2007

Well, as gangsters go, Koreas are like gangsters of the 1950's in the west. They talk big, fight tough, but won't kill you for no reason. They'll bite hard, but they have what you might call a gangster code..And to my knowledge, even fights between gangster groups can be violent, but no one is killed. Be thankful they aren't the kind of gangsters that are now all over the UK randomly stabbing and shooting people for pathetic simple reasons.

samd · Joined: 03 Jan 2007

jeffkim1972 · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Location: Mokpo

You can tell if they are real gangsters if some of the people are extremely overweight. The boss usually walks around with them.

This is because since there are no guns in Korea, only knives. The overweight guys are supposed to be able to take a stabbing if necessary.

Funny comment about the bicycles though.

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

This is an interesting thread, and that was an interesting comment about the overweight guys, if it's true. Of course, I'm not making light of the OP's situation. I'm just curious about gangsters in Korea. Rumor has it they're involved with construction, night clubs, prostitution, and gambling. I guess I live in the heart of gangster country, Jeollanam-do, but nothing really stands out.

Oreovictim · Joined: 23 Aug 2006

Yeah, I saw a gang fight in Cheong-ju a few weeks ago. It was a highly choreographed dance-fight between two gangs: The Jets and The Sharks.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

Anyway, they won't bother you. Once I was sitting outside a supermarket in a fishing village and a bunch of them were there. I wasn't by myself but with an older co-teacher. One proclaimed to be Korean mafia. If you're mafia, do you say it out loud? Maybe they're more open with it here. They don't scare me one bit. I lived with a Hell's Angel in Quebec. That was a little scary since my sister and her husband are RCMP in the same province. 2 extremes. During the gang war in the mid nineties.

Gives you quite the mentality. Like no one can touch you. They had a bar, too. Went there a few times and bought 2 dollar beers and snorte cocaine. Needed a skull and crossbones ID card which I borrowed.

Yep.

newteacher · Joined: 31 May 2007