Decrease in Crime Reports During Seol Holiday... Child Abuse Down 28.6%

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The number of crime-related 112 emergency calls during this year's Lunar New Year holiday period has decreased compared to last year.

The National Police Agency announced on the 2nd that the number of 112 calls received from the start of the Lunar New Year holiday on the 29th of last month until today decreased by 1.8% compared to last year. Reports of child abuse dropped by 28.6%, and crime reports such as violence and property damage decreased by 2.6%. However, the police explained that reports of domestic violence remained at a similar level to last year.

Traffic accidents decreased by 32.6% compared to last year. The number of traffic accident fatalities also dropped from 21 last year to 15, showing a 28.6% decrease. Injuries also decreased significantly by 44.3%, with 1,259 cases compared to 2,259 last year. Notably, the police reportedly prevented an accident by finding an elderly dementia patient walking along the shoulder near Seojinju IC on the Daejeon-Tongyeong Expressway the day before and escorting them home.

The police conducted inspection activities targeting illegal businesses such as unauthorized entertainment establishments and violations of quarantine guidelines in cooperation with local governments during this Lunar New Year holiday. As a result, during a focused inspection of 4,756 locations, a total of 29 cases and 191 individuals were caught. For example, on the 26th of last month, intelligence was received that a certain entertainment bar in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, was operating with its sign lights off and serving reserved customers. A joint crackdown team was formed, resulting in the arrest of 35 people including the business owner.

A police official stated, "We will do our best to maintain a peaceful security posture during the Lunar New Year holiday and secure stable public safety."