깡패

What is this, anyway?

This is a collection of historical fiction pieces based on the following gangs: Japanese Yakuza, Korean Yakuza, She Tou (Snakeheads), Tosei-kai, Dongdaemun pa, Myeongdong pa, Hwan-Song-Sung pa, Ssang-Yong pa, and the Salakau. I may decide to add more later, but I've done research on those so far.

Due to historical relevance, it helps to have a basic knowledge of World War 2 and how it affected both Japan and Korea, as well as some of the politics of South Korea following the Korean War.



Weird idea. How did it start?

One day, I decided to look up some history on the Korean mob, 건달 (Geondal, for those of us who aren't too great at reading hangeul). It really fascinated me, so I decided to do some in-depth research about the Korean mafia as well as some of the other Asian gangs and their more famous events, such as the Snakeheads gang from China and their Chinese-American (Chinese-born, but living in America) leader. This isn't meant to romanticize gang life, it is meant to inform people about what being in a gang really is like, and how the Asian gangs are different from their more renowned American and European counterparts.

Why are you writing about a topic like this?

Some gangsters will tell you that gang life has its perks. They behave like a family, and can be fiercely loyal to each other. Gangs play their part in the economy as well as the government. There have been several Asian gangs that have acted in coordination with their government, even supporting it at times. That's not to say they were entirely selfless.

Draw your own conclusions, but I hope you are as fascinated with this history as I was.