By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Police have detected the largest-ever school gang in Seoul with its members consisting of more than 300 students from 94 middle and high schools.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Wednesday that it detected the organized school gang, ``Seoul Yonhap (Seoul Association),’’ comprised of 307 students from 29 smaller gangs in 94 schools and urged them to voluntarily disband.

The detection came amid a police crackdown on school gangs since last month. As violence and crimes among school gangs, well known as ``Iljinhoi,’’ are getting worse, the government and law enforcement authorities have launched an intensive investigation and are encouraging gang members to voluntarily report to police.

The members first came from nine high schools and 85 middle schools, and middle school boys in one of the small groups reportedly continued the group activities after entering high school.

To decide the ranking among the small groups, they selected a student from each group and made them fight each other, with the winners positioned at a higher rank, according to police.

On a senior member’s special day such as the 100th day that the senior has gone out with a girlfriend or a boyfriend, junior members paid a certain amount of money to the senior.

Seniors also beat juniors to prevent them from leaving the gang or making them obey the seniors, police said. They also took money from ordinary students, as senior members ordered juniors to raise a certain amount of money within a period of time.

In February 2004, when four high school members reportedly ordered middle school members to collect 500,000 won, one of the juniors stole the money from his parents. Another student also paid 2 million won to seniors, which he also stole from his parents.

They also gathered at bars, which were rented out for parties, seven times in three years with 100-700 students participating. They paid for the parties by forcing their members and ordinary students to buy party tickets.

The gang was detected as one of the members voluntarily reported it to the police. The police are suggesting schools and parents persuade students to report themselves to the authorities and dissolve the group.

The police plan to propose the prosecution not to indict those reporting themselves to the police, but the members may face criminal charges in case the victims of their activities were severely hurt or want to press charges.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr