Two arrested over late-night mass brawl in Pyeongtaek

Police are seeking 14 others after a late-night fight involving 21 Central Asian nationals raised safety concerns among residents.

Published
A street in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi
A street in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi

Police said Tuesday they have arrested two people for their alleged involvement in a late-night mass brawl between Central Asian nationals in Pyeongtaek earlier this month.

The brawl, involving 21 suspects, took place at around 11:40 p.m. on Oct. 3 at a children's park in the city in Gyeonggi. The fight reportedly raised safety concerns among residents.

The Pyeongtaek Police Station said it caught five suspects allegedly involved in the brawl — all of whom are Kazakh or Kyrgyz nationals in their 20s or 30s. It placed two of the five under arrest for alleged assault.

Police officials have issued exit bans on two other suspects while investigating the whereabouts of 14 others.

They believe the fight broke out over a past dispute and is unrelated to gang activity. Most of the suspects are believed to be day laborers, with three of the five apprehended suspects being undocumented migrants.


Yonhap