What has been suspected for quite sometime was confirmed recently with the arrest and indictment of ex-gangsters on charges of blackmailing a popular actor - organized crime groups have penetrated deep into the lucrative entertainment industry.
Popular Hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo turned to the police after being threatened by the former leader of a notorious crime syndicate for refusing to appear in a promotional event in Japan. It was also revealed that Kwon`s ex-manager, a former member of an organized crime ring, threatened to leak details of the entertainer`s private life unless he renewed his management contract. Kwon was forced to sign a contract that made him liable to pay his manager 1 billion won should the contract be broken.
It took courage for Kwon to seek help from the police. He is not alone in being blackmailed into signing slave contracts. While the entertainment industry acknowledges that stars can face extortion by organized crime groups, no one has been willing to come forward and expose the practice. The reason is that only the stars will face the repercussions; their career in jeopardy and their personal safety threatened. The prosecutors have attempted to investigate similar cases but were rebuffed by the celebrities who feared reprisals from gangsters.
The shadowy underworld of gangsters has always been connected with the world of entertainment. Beyond the bright lights of the stage and stardom lurked the dark nether world of organized crime. Starting in 2000, organized crime became directly involved in the entertainment industry, investing in films, production companies and entertainment agencies.
The companies became legitimate business fronts for organized crime groups. On the back of the Hallyu boom, or the popularity of Korean pop culture in Asian countries, the gangsters stood to make a fortune. Where money goes, organized crime follows, according to a recent study that interviewed former gang members. In that same study, about one-third of former gangsters said that their groups were involved in the entertainment industry.
Those in the entertainment industry say that it is virtually impossible to ensure that investments are free from tainted money. Once money from organized crime makes its way into an entertainment company, that company is not free from the influence of gangster groups.
The authorities should thoroughly investigate the current case as well as other similar incidents to make sure that organized crime syndicates do not get an even stronger grip on the entertainment industry. Otherwise, the country risks losing its Hallyu stars and the export of Korean pop culture.