Police crack down on ”bicycle rental gangs” but safety insensitivity remains as usual = Korean report

"Please make sure to wear a helmet when riding." At 5:28 pm on the 4th, in front of Exit 2 of Seongsu Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
A, who was traveling by scooter, was arrested by the police for not wearing a helmet. Driving electric scooters without a license, not wearing a helmet, riding with two people, and drunk driving are all prohibited by law.
The police explained that "Mr. A had a driver's license," but "he was fined 20,000 won for not wearing a helmet."
The Seongdong, Yongsan, and Gangnam police stations in Seoul were closed at 2 p.m. on the same day.
Recently, there have been reports of people riding bicycles and electric scooters at high speeds on sidewalks and into the paths of pedestrians.
In particular, the Ttareungi Biker Gang Association posted on social media that day that they would gather at 6 p.m. and travel from Seongsu to Yongsan and back.
Starting on September 24, 2023, the Ttareungi Biker Gang Association posted videos on social media of people riding Ttareungi and electric scooters at high speeds on sidewalks and roads in Seoul.
There are about 70 videos of people passing by pedestrians and mocking the police who are chasing them to crack down on them. The account has about 3,100 followers.
On that day, 21 riot police officers and eight traffic officers from Seongdong Police Station were stationed near Seongsu Station, and two motorcycles were deployed for patrol.
The crackdown took place in three locations, including in front of a shopping street in Gangnam-gu. E-Daily accompanied the group in front of Seongsu Station from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm that day, and found that the Ttareungi Biker Gang was arrested.
There was no rally teaser message on the Instagram of the Tarungi Biker Gang Association. However, there are still citizens who ride electric scooters without wearing helmets.
That evening, a man riding an electric scooter was fined 20,000 won for not wearing a helmet. Two foreigners were then given a warning by the police for not wearing helmets.
The police explained, "In the case of foreigners, it is highly likely that they were unaware of the rules, so we will initially provide guidance." Citizens have complained about the use of electric scooters and other devices.
"I am often surprised when electric scooters or dtareungi suddenly appear on the sidewalk," said Mr. Chon (26). "I heard that even dtareungi biker gangs have appeared, so I hope the police will crack down on them properly."
"If someone violates the Road Traffic Act, such as walking on the sidewalk, we will arrest them in the act and impose a fine," the police said. "We will not tolerate group activities that are expected to cause inconvenience to citizens and risk traffic accidents.
We request that you not participate."