Evidently tired of being picked out easily by authorities (warning: extreme tatoo’age) and of the brutish stereotype portrayed in pop culture, the criminal underworld has begun an “image-is-everything” makeover.   Seoul Metropolitan Police have rounded up one such organized crime group operating in Itaewon which has been selecting its members using strict appearance-based standards.  They evaluated for such factors as good looks, tall height, and unblemished skin.   This is a departure from the past when new candidates only needed to be good with a stick and actually be really, really tough.   Now, in an effort to be all Disney, they’re basically looking for Super Junior with the ability to be trained. 

[Life imitating art?  상사부일체]

A few choice lines from the Korea Times:

After passing the “interview,” they had to undergo two to four years of rigorous training to become “family members,” police said.

In a training camp in Itaewon, the gangster candidates were trained on how to use weapons, how to threaten people, and how to gather promptly at a designated and time when their boss called ― those passing the training courses were eligible to become members.

“The members were also banned from drinking at their hang outs, because if they had quarrel with citizens, it could put them at risk of exposure,” the officer said.

The crime ring’s efforts to keep a “good” image were part of their plan to disguise their illegal businesses, such as managing illegal bars or gaming parlors, as legal ones, he said.

 So, if you ever encounter a “new-gangster” in the streets, one way to disarm him would be to compliment him on his Armani.  And if it’s Itaewon, be sure to hint that his Rolex is real. 

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