Teenagers’ Midday Gang Fight

Dozens of middle school students in Gangnam area were involved in a gang fight at an apartment complex in the afternoon, a report said.

According to Suseo Police Station, about 40 middle school students from A and B middle schools scuffled in front of a grocery store in an apartment complex in Gaepo-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul at around 4 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2007.

Although the fight ended in two minutes, it left several students severely injured. One student had his eyebrow ruptured and another student’ ears bled after being fiercely assaulted.

A resident who witnessed the scuffle said, “Fist fights among several students turned into a group fight. I arrested a student who wielded brute violence and handed over him to the police.”

The police apprehended all the students who joined the fight including the five who were caught at the spot, and indicted six of them without physical detention the following day after the investigation.

The students have been fighting for their district, the investigation revealed.

“They reached an agreement not to punish each other, but we are looking into whether violent school gangs are involved in the fight,” said a police officer.

The school authority of A middle school ordered the students who took part in the fight to participate in the voluntary activities as a disciplinary measure, while B middle school will decide next month on how to punish the students after holding a committee aiming at reducing school violence.