"Strict Punishment for April Fools' Lies" Police Strongly Respond to 112 False Reports

The National Police Agency announced on March 31 that it will take strict action against false reports that waste police resources in observance of April Fools' Day on April 1.

Making a false report to 112 can result in a fine of up to 600,000 won, detention, or a penalty under the Minor Offenses Act, as well as punishment for obstruction of official duties by deception under the Criminal Act. Additionally, if the false report causes significant waste of police resources and mental harm to responding officers, civil damages may also be claimed.

The number of punishments for false reports has been increasing annually, with 3,757 cases in 2021, 3,946 cases in 2022, and 4,871 cases in 2023.

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Last year on April Fools' Day, an emergency 112 call was received reporting being confined in a guesthouse. Six police officers promptly responded to the scene, but it was found to be a false report, and the caller was fined following a summary trial.

In February this year, a court ruled that a person who made sixteen false reports over four days, including claims of being confined in a game center and asking for rescue, must compensate for the fuel costs of the dispatched police vehicles and the mental damages suffered by the officers.

Starting July 3, the Act on the Operation and Handling of 112 Calls will be enforced, allowing fines to be imposed on those who make false reports to 112.

Kim Byung-su, Director of the Crime Prevention and Response Bureau at the National Police Agency, stated, “False reports cause great harm to citizens who urgently need police assistance in real emergencies, so active public participation is necessary to ensure that 112 can fulfill its role as an emergency reporting channel. Please direct non-criminal police inquiries to 182, general civil complaints to 110, and use 112 exclusively for emergency crime reports.”