○ Four undercover investigators and four online monitors to remain active in first half of year
– Intensive monitoring of illegal online private loans, real estate practices, and pyramid schemes; prevention of juvenile delinquency, etc.
– 64 illegal lenders arrested over two-year period (28 in 2019, 36 in 2020)
○ 16 personnel deployed to remove ads for illegal private loans, media harmful to minors, etc.
○ Gyeonggi Province “aims to minimize damage to residents by extending its undercover investigations of illicit online activities”

The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police have officially begun an operation using undercover “customers” to investigate and crack down on illicit activities.

A total of eight part-time agents (four undercover investigators and four online monitors) have been deployed for the first half of this year to investigate illegal ads, collect data related to investigations, and manage a corresponding database.

In 2019, Gyeonggi Province became the first local autonomy to employ the undercover “customer” tactic, with the Special Judicial Police having since arrested 64 illegal lenders over a two-year span, 28 arrests in 2019 and 36 in 2020.

Four online monitors were introduced this year to scrutinize websites and secure evidence for investigations related to illegal private loans, real estate practices, pyramid schemes (e.g., cryptocurrencies, stock leading rooms), and proxy purchases of drugs harmful to minors.

Starting on March 8, 16 agents will be dispatched on-site to collect illegal ads, which serve as important evidential material in the investigation process. These agents will visit downtown districts and areas frequented by youths in the province to remove ads for illegal loans as well as media harmful to minors, securing evidence crucial for investigations. The number of illegal ads removed during the past year amounted to approximately 294,000.

Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Superintendent Kim Yeong-su stated, “Cases of illegal private loans have increased due to COVID-19, and damages from illegal pyramid schemes and false advertisements have multiplied as well. We will minimize damages experienced by residents by expanding undercover investigations online to identify abusive acts in the real estate market, pyramid schemes, and proxy purchases of drugs that are harmful to minors.”

The Special Judicial Police, which were established in October 2018, concentrated efforts on eradicating illegal private loans, such as private high interest loans, and arrested 46 illegal online lenders last year.

Reports of damages stemming from online illegal lenders can be made via the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police website (www.gg.go.kr/gg_special_cop), through KakaoTalk, or by calling the Gyeonggi Province Call Center (031-120).