Appellate Court Sentences South Korean Members of Thai Criminal Syndicate 'Roong-ger Company' to 9–10 Years in Prison

South Korean members of the "Roong-ger Company," a Thai criminal syndicate originating from Cambodia, have been handed heavy prison sentences in their appellate trial.

The 7th Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judge Koo Hoe-keun) recently sentenced a defendant surnamed Kim, indicted on charges including joining a criminal organization, to 10 years in prison, reducing the sentence by one year from the first trial.

The two other co-defendants tried alongside Kim were sentenced to 10 years and 9 years in prison, respectively, upholding the rulings from the first trial.

Kim and the others are accused of joining the Roong-ger Company—newly formed after members of criminal organizations in the Cambodia border region relocated their base to Thailand—around April and May of last year and committing fraud.

Investigations showed that they operated within various financial scam teams inside the organization, including a "lotto compensation coin fraud team," a "romance scam team," and a "no-show scam team impersonating military units and ordinary citizens."

Their crimes resulted in 206 victims, with total damages estimated at approximately 6 billion won.

They were also charged with disrupting the business operations of domestic restaurants by carrying out so-called "no-show scams," such as demanding the delivery of military combat rations while impersonating military units.

Kim was additionally charged with assaulting, confining, and threatening a member who attempted to leave the organization by stating they would be "sold off to China."

However, the appellate court ruled that it was difficult to consider Kim as having confined the victim, finding that specific charge not guilty and thereby reducing the sentence partially.

The court stated, "This crime received intensive media coverage and drew significant social attention," adding, "Given the large number of victims and the massive scale of damages, they inevitably must bear the corresponding responsibility."

It further reprimanded, "Although some defendants reached settlements with victims, the scale of the settlements falls short of the total damages, leaving no reason to modify the sentencing. The nature of the crime is grave, making strict punishment inevitable."

All defendants, including Kim, appealed the appellate court ruling and are currently awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court.

(File Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.