Group Arrested for Extorting Waste Management Companies by Threatening Negative Coverage

Individuals associated with an online news outlet have been arrested by police for extorting tens of millions of won from small-scale waste management business owners under the guise of advertising fees.

The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it has arrested three people, including a 50-year-old publisher of an online news outlet, on charges of extortion.

The suspects are accused of extorting approximately 30 million won from 25 waste management companies in the Chungcheong region, including Daejeon, Sejong, and Cheongju, between August of last year and January of this year. They allegedly used their titles as publisher, editor-in-chief, and news director after registering the online news outlet in July of last year.

According to the investigation, the suspects would take photos of piled-up waste and then introduce themselves as environmental reporters, threatening the business owners by saying, "We will report on your illegal activities or file a complaint against you."

The police, who began the investigation in January after receiving a tip-off, secured statements from the victims and obtained evidence of the crimes through search and seizure operations at the news outlet's office.

A police official stated, "Demanding money under the pretext of writing articles or filing complaints with administrative agencies is a clear criminal act that ignores the public function of the press," and added, "We urge anyone who has suffered similar damage or is aware of such illegal activities to actively report them."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.