Police have rounded up 881 members of organized crime groups, taking 175 of them into custody, officials said Sunday.

According to the National Police Agency, the criminals were arrested between February and April 11. This came after another raid from late October to the end of the year resulted in the roundup of 1,060 gangsters, with 140 of them detained.

The series of crackdowns began after a massive street brawl broke out in front of a funeral home in Incheon between rival gang members last year. On Oct. 21, some 130 members from two different groups violently attacked one another resulting in several serious injuries.

Cho Hyun-oh, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, launched a war against organized crime after police drew fire for simply watching the fight unfold for two hours.

Police officials now believe the raids against organized crime have left groups severely crippled.

Notorious ex-convict and Bumsobangpa gang leader Kim Tae-chon, 63, remains hospitalized after fainting during an investigation regarding a contract assault.

Yangeunipa gang leader Cho Yang-eun, who is currently hiding overseas, has an arrest warrant out in his name for his involvement in a financial lending scam.

Because Kim is in critical condition and Cho cannot safely enter the country, police officials are using this opportunity to disband both groups completely.

Police have also cracked down on violence in schools, taking into custody 44 middle school students belonging to a gang faction in Wonju, Gangwon Province, who are suspected of extorting money from fellow classmates.

Police have also taken into custody members of the Paradise-pa in Ansung, Gyeonggi Province who are known to have forced middle and high school students to sell baked sweet potatoes on the street.

Officials will focus efforts on the prevention of gangs from hiding illegal money they extort.

“In the latter half of the year we plan an aggressive crackdown on crimes that threatens the livelihood of people including extortion of smalltime vendors,” said one police official.

“We would like to urge citizens to actively report crimes,” he said.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)