Seoul's Yeongdeungpo Police Station is investigating suspects who gathered at the scene and repeatedly engaged in dangerous driving using 11 motorcycles and one car from 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday. [Provided by Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station]
Seoul's Yeongdeungpo Police Station is investigating suspects who gathered at the scene and repeatedly engaged in dangerous driving using 11 motorcycles and one car from 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday. [Provided by Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station]

Police have identified a group of 20 people who staged a mass street-racing stunt near the southern end of Mapo Bridge in Seoul ahead of Liberation Day.

Seoul's Yeongdeungpo Police Station said Thursday it is investigating all 20 on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act through joint intimidation after they engaged in reckless driving at the intersection near the southern end of Mapo Bridge.

According to police, the suspects gathered at the scene from 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday using 11 motorcycles and one car, then repeatedly drove in formation — bumper to bumper and side by side — while running red lights, crossing center lines and making sudden lane changes.

The group is believed to have coordinated their gathering through TikTok.

Police immediately secured footage from closed-circuit television cameras near the scene, traffic information feeds and videos posted on social media to trace the vehicles' routes and document their movements. Using that footage, investigators identified all 20 participants and are now examining the specific circumstances of the incident, each person's level of involvement and whether any of them led the group.

Police also plan to investigate whether the vehicles and motorcycles had been illegally modified and whether any other offenses were committed.

"We will continue to combine on-site enforcement with post-incident video analysis to respond firmly to street racing," a police official said. "Ahead of Liberation Day, we will work to prevent guerrilla-style racing incidents, block gatherings in high-risk areas before they form, carry out visible enforcement to deter racing proactively, and pursue intensive investigations and special crackdowns."


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