Attempted Abduction Fails but Anxiety Remains... Police to Intensively Deploy Officers on Routes to 609 Seoul Elementary Schools

Special Safety Inspections and Concentrated Police Deployment on School Routes
Child-Related Reports to Be Classified as "Code 1"
"Strong Response" Promised

Parental anxiety is growing after two suspects in an attempted child abduction case in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul were released following the dismissal of their arrest warrants. In response, the police have announced a comprehensive plan to protect children.

A man in his 20s accused of attempting to abduct an elementary school student appeared at the detention hearing held at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News

Park Hyunsoo, Acting Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated at a press briefing on September 8 that "from today until October 12, for five weeks, a comprehensive crime prevention plan will be implemented at 609 elementary schools across Seoul."

The plan includes safety inspections of routes to and from school, concentrated deployment of experienced officers, and strengthened response to reports of crimes against children. The police, district office, and board of education will jointly conduct a "special safety inspection" of school routes, checking from the ground up for crime risks, traffic accidents, and other disaster safety hazards in the surrounding areas.

Additionally, police station and mobile patrol unit personnel will be concentrated along school routes, and cooperation will be strengthened with private organizations such as the Green Mothers Association and volunteer crime prevention teams. Reports related to children will now be classified as "Code 1" or higher. The police emergency response system categorizes reports from Code 0 to Code 4, with both Code 0 and Code 1 indicating emergencies that require the fastest possible dispatch.

Acting Commissioner Park emphasized, "We will respond strongly to child-related cases from the very beginning," adding, "Given that there have been three abduction reports, we consider the charges to be serious."

Regarding the two suspects in the Seodaemun attempted abduction case whose arrest warrants were dismissed, he said, "We are currently conducting forensic analysis of their mobile phones, and if additional charges are found, we will reapply for arrest warrants." The suspects denied any intent to abduct, claiming it was a prank, and the court dismissed the arrest warrants, citing that there was room for dispute regarding the facts and intent of the charges.

Addressing criticism that the suspects were apprehended late due to an inadequate initial response, he said, "We should have been excessively thorough in verifying child-related cases," and expressed deep regret for not having done so.