Mysterious "gowadugetho" Text to 112... Police Issue 'Code 1' Alert

"gowadugetho" Emergency Text Received by Police
Deciphered as "Please Help Me" Using Keypad Combination
Code 1 Issued... Dating Violence Victim Rescued

In the early morning hours, the police deciphered a desperate plea for help from a mysterious text message reading "gowadugetho" that was received via the 112 emergency hotline. By analyzing the arrangement of the phone's keypad, the police determined that the message was a coded request for help meaning "please help me," and they demonstrated quick thinking in rescuing the victim.

A message with an unclear meaning received by the police. National Police Agency YouTube

On the 26th, the National Police Agency shared the story of police officers who rescued a victim of dating violence through their sharp judgment, via their official YouTube channel. Kim Daehyun, an inspector working at the 112 situation room of the Jeju Police Agency, recently received a call from a caller who only continued to cry. Kim recalled, "I kept trying to talk, asking things like 'what's wrong,' but the caller hung up, so I couldn't confirm anything further."

Shortly afterward, a text message saying "gowadugetho" was received. Park Soeun, a police officer working alongside Kim, said, "At first I thought it was a typo, but when I checked the keyboard layout, I saw that 'gowadugetho' closely resembled 'please help me' on the keypad," and added, "I immediately issued a 'Code 1' order." 'Code 1' is an instruction to respond immediately in emergencies involving threats to life or physical safety.

A police officer who received a message containing the unclear phrase "gowadugetho" showed ingenuity in rescuing a victim of dating violence. National Police Agency YouTube

When the police arrived at the scene, they found a case of dating violence with blood everywhere. The police arrested the suspect on the spot. The police stated, "Even if you cannot speak and can only cry, that is okay. We will always notice."

Online commenters who heard the news responded enthusiastically, saying things like, "Thank you to the police," "Amazing judgment," "So reassuring to have our police," "How did they interpret that message so quickly?" "So glad the victim was rescued," "It's touching that they say 'we will always notice'," and "Thumbs up to the police."