'MZ' gangsters in Gyeonggi indicted for threatening rival hoodlum

"MZ" gangsters of the Gyeonggi-based gang known as the "Anyang Tigers" were indicted for making mass threats against a rival gangster.

Members of the ″Anyang Tigers″ gang bow to its leaders as they leave the 80th birthday party of a gang member's mother. [GYEONGGI NAMBU PROVINCIAL POLICE]

"MZ" gangsters of the Gyeonggi-based gang known as the "Anyang Tigers" were indicted for making mass threats against a rival gangster.

The Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday that eight individuals, including a 27-year-old gang member, were charged with violating the Punishment of Violence Act and are currently in custody.

The gang members are accused of threatening a 29-year-old member of a Suwon-based gang by brandishing weapons and instigating a confrontation on a street in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 28 and 29 of this year.

The incident reportedly occurred after the 27-year-old Anyang Tigers gangster informed his gang that the 29-year-old rival had assaulted him for failing to repay a debt.

A total of 13 members were involved in the crime, but only eight of those whose investigations had been completed were indicted first, according to the prosecutor. The remaining members are still under investigation.

The Anyang Tigers — a gang formed in 1986 near Anyang — was thought to have diminished after several police crackdowns, including the arrest of some 40 members in 2016. However, the recent case revealed that the gang has revived its activities, recruiting new MZ members since 2019.

All those indicted were reportedly in their 20s, known as MZ gangsters — members of the millennial generation or Gen Z and thus in their 20s and 30s.

These so-called MZ gang members are said to conduct their criminal activities by staying in touch through an emergency contact system while living separate personal lives, unlike traditional gangs that operate together by living together.

Some of those indicted showed deep-rooted loyalty to the gang, with the word "tiger" tattooed in Korean on their chests.

The gang reportedly maintains its organization and discipline by taking care of senior members in prison, including offering prison money and regularly visiting them to report on the group's activities.

Although the incident did not involve significant violence between rival gangs, law enforcement put them on trial, considering the importance and risks posed by the organized activities of the gang and the nature of the crime.

"We will take firm action against gang crimes that threaten the peaceful lives of citizens, such as restricting gang formation and activities, by emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach," said a prosecutor, adding that they are committed to ensuring that those involved receive punishments that match the severity of their offenses.

BY CHOI MO-RAN, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]