Organized crime has been increasing in South Korea over the last 30 years. The country has traditionally maintained a strict social order and security setting, largely due to its unique political situation associated with the confrontation with North Korea. Thus, it has successfully contained criminal organizations through mop-up operations during times of political turmoil, plus periodic crackdowns and roundups. As a result, criminal organizations have been unable to expand in scale or in their geographic spheres of activity. International criminal organizations such as the Mafia, Yakuza, and Triad have not been able to obtain strong footholds in Korea; organized crime has been traditionally confined to small organizations parasitic to entertainment establishments. However, during the 1980s, criminal organizations began to take advantage of social turmoil and disorder in the wake of rapid economic growth and democratization. In the 1990s, international criminal organizations have also succeeded in making some alliances with Korean criminal organizations; smuggling of firearms and drugs has often been involved. Korea is becoming an increasingly attractive market for criminal groups due to its location, a growing entertainment industry, and increasing extravagance in the culture. The government declared a War Against Crime in 1990 to focus efforts on violent organized crime. The government is trying to prevent the international involvement of local criminal organizations and to prevent their organizational or territorial expansion. The government is also working through INTERPOL and other institutions to provide international cooperation in organized crime prevention and criminal investigation. Tables and 35 references (Author abstract modified)