Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency Yoo Jae-seong (second from right) attends a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. (Yonhap) President Lee Jae Myung on Monday warned against involvement in so-called “private revenge-for-hire” crimes, stressing that such acts are serious offenses that can lead to arrest and detention.“Under no circumstances should anyone engage in revenge-for-hire,” Lee wrote in a post on X.“It is a serious crime that can result in detention.”Lee made the remarks while sharing a report from acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong on police investigations into crimes involving private retaliation carried out on behalf of others.According to Yoo’s report, police have identified a total of 87 such cases nationwide since the first known incident occurred in Daegu in August 2025.The National Police Agency said it has solved 80 of the cases and apprehended 65 suspects, including 23 who were formally arrested. Police are continuing to track suspects involved in the remaining seven cases.Authorities said the number of revenge-for-hire cases has declined following the intensive investigation. The number fell from 62 cases in the first quarter of this year to 19 in the second quarter, and no related cases have been reported since June 11.Yoo said police had also arrested key participants beyond those who carried out the crimes. They included suspects who allegedly obtained personal information by disguising themselves as employees of delivery service companies, managers who concealed and paid criminal funds using virtual assets, and a ringleader who fled to Vietnam immediately after the crime.“We will ensure that the remaining higher-level figures and those who commissioned the crimes are arrested and severely punished,” Yoo said.