[Weekly File] Gwangju and Jeonnam Marred by Accidents and Incidents During Long Lunar New Year Holiday

Arson, Parricide, and Traffic Accidents Occur in Succession
Up to 18 cm of Heavy Snow Causes Collisions
Fewer 112 Emergency Calls, but Major Crimes on the Rise

On the 28th of last month, the day before Lunar New Year, vehicles were moving slowly near Osan IC on the Gyeongbu Expressway in Osan City, Gyeonggi Province, where a heavy snow warning was in effect. Photo by Yonhap News

The week-long Lunar New Year holiday, which began on the 25th, was marred by incidents such as arson and murder in Gwangju and Jeonnam.

During the holiday, heavy snowfall led to a series of accidents including slips and traffic collisions.

◇ Arson, Traffic Accidents, and Murders Occurred One After Another at Night

According to Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency and fire authorities on the 1st, at around 2:11 a.m. that day, a fire broke out on the third floor of a 15-story apartment building in Ssangchon-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, prompting the evacuation of 27 residents.

Ten residents were rescued from the fire, with four of them transported to the hospital for treatment after inhaling smoke. Seventeen others evacuated on their own.

The fire was completely extinguished within 19 minutes, but the interior of the apartment was gutted, resulting in property damage estimated at around 11 million won.

Police are investigating the circumstances, suspecting that a resident in their 60s, identified as A, set the fire and then took their own life nearby.

Earlier, at around 10:15 p.m. on the 30th of last month, a man in his 70s, identified as B, was struck by a taxi while crossing a crosswalk on a road in Yudong, Buk-gu, Gwangju.

B was transported to the hospital but died from his injuries.

The taxi driver reportedly told police that he did not see B crossing the crosswalk.

On the same day, Gwangju Dongbu Police Station applied for an arrest warrant for C (64) on charges of parricide for allegedly killing his mother.

C is accused of repeatedly striking the face of his mother, who was in her 80s, in their apartment in Hak-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, at around 12:11 a.m. on the 29th of last month, resulting in her death.

C reportedly informed a friend of the crime over the phone, and was apprehended by police who responded to the friend's report.

Police are investigating the details of the incident, including the motive, based on family statements that C had been suffering from dementia.

On the second day of the holiday, at around 2:28 p.m. on the 26th of last month, a fire broke out at a convenience store in Hampyeong-gun, Jeonnam, and was extinguished within eight minutes.

The store owner suffered second-degree burns over his entire body and was transported to the hospital.

According to police investigations, he reportedly set himself on fire after dousing himself with a flammable substance during a heated argument with his wife over financial issues.

◇ Heavy Snow Causes Slips and Collisions

From the third day of the holiday through Lunar New Year's Day, heavy snow continued for three days, leading to a series of traffic accidents on snowy roads.

The Gwangju Regional Meteorological Administration issued a heavy snow advisory at 9:10 a.m. on the 28th of last month for 18 cities and counties in Gwangju and Jeonnam (Naju, Damyang, Gokseong, Gurye, Jangseong, Hwasun, Boseong, Suncheon, Jangheung, Gangjin, Haenam, Wando, Yeongam, Muan, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, Shinan, Jindo) and eight cities and counties in Jeonbuk (Gochang, Buan, Gunsan, Gimje, Wanju, Iksan, Jeongeup, Jeonju).

Gwangju and Jeonnam saw up to 18 cm of snow over the three days from the 27th to the 30th of last month.

The highest recorded snow depths were 18.5 cm in Okhwa, Gokseong; 18.2 cm at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology; 13.7 cm in Damyang; and 12.9 cm at Sangmu Base in Jangseong.

The heavy snowfall led to a total of 26 reported incidents in Gwangju and Jeonnam.

In Gwangju, there were 14 reports of slips, one traffic accident, and one icy road safety measure, totaling 16 incidents. In Jeonnam, there were three reports of slips, three traffic accidents, and four safety measures.

At around 11:36 p.m. on the 27th of last month, a van rear-ended a car near the exit of the Munsusan Tunnel on the Gochang-Damyang Expressway in Seosam-myeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeonnam, resulting in seven people being transported to the hospital.

On the 28th of last month, at around 11:21 p.m., fire authorities received a report that a vehicle had skidded in Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeonnam. On the 29th, at around 12:04 a.m., a car skidded on a snowy road and crashed into a tree while driving in Unam-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju.

Rainfall of 10-30 mm was forecast for Gwangju through the day. In eastern inland Jeonnam, about 1 cm of snow was expected.

The morning low on the 1st was forecast to be 1-5 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs of 7-9 degrees. On the 2nd, morning lows were expected to be -1 to 4 degrees, with daytime highs of 7-13 degrees, indicating relatively mild weather through the weekend.

◇ 112 Calls Decrease, Major Crimes Increase

According to police, during this year's Lunar New Year holiday (from the 25th to the 29th of last month), the average daily number of 112 emergency calls in Gwangju was 58.8, a decrease of 4.8% compared to the previous holiday.

Crimes affecting public safety, such as theft and violence, also decreased by 21.8% (2.4 cases) and 20.6% (6.4 cases), respectively.

On the other hand, daily reports of major crimes increased by 19.5% to 7.1 cases per day.

Due to reduced travel for ancestral rites caused by the weather, traffic accidents and injuries decreased by 41.8% (4.1 cases) and 60.8% (9.6 people) per day, respectively.

In Jeonnam, the average daily number of 112 calls during the Lunar New Year holiday decreased by 26.5% compared to last year. Domestic violence cases dropped by 6.2%, and child abuse cases fell by 64.4%.

Traffic accidents and injuries also decreased by 58.8% and 64.7%, respectively.