Decrease in Traffic Accidents and Major Crimes During Lunar New Year Holiday... Effectiveness of Police Prevention Activities

On the 23rd, one day before the Lunar New Year holiday, traffic flow in both directions on the Seohae Bridge of the Seohaean Expressway was smooth, as seen from a police helicopter. (Aerial filming cooperation = Lieutenant Kim Hong-gyu and Kim Doo-su, Aviation Unit, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Due to the short four-day Lunar New Year holiday and proactive crime prevention activities, the number of traffic accident casualties and reports of robbery and theft decreased compared to previous years' holidays.

The National Police Agency announced on the 27th that, as a result of conducting comprehensive security activities for eight days from the 20th to the 27th during the Lunar New Year holiday, reports of major crimes and traffic accidents decreased during the holiday period.

The average daily number of traffic accident fatalities during the four-day holiday was 3.7, a 17.8% decrease compared to the previous year, and the number of injuries was 395.3, a significant 49.1% reduction. The police also cracked down on 2,783 cases of reckless and selfish driving using undercover patrol cars and drones on major highways.

The number of 112 emergency calls reporting major crimes also decreased compared to previous years. Theft cases dropped by 9.2% daily on average, and domestic violence cases decreased by 7.3%. Overall reports, including those related to intoxication, group violence, and emergency room violence, also fell by 6.5%. During this period, the police conducted crime prevention diagnostics and strengthened patrols at 10,319 gold and silver shops and 7,154 convenience stores, while carefully managing 13,327 households at risk of repeated domestic violence through prior monitoring, joint investigations, temporary measures, and victim protection.

On the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 27th, tourists are enjoying their time at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The police responded swiftly and strictly to crimes that occurred. On the 25th, Lunar New Year's Day, a suspect who threatened a lottery ticket store clerk in Anseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, with a blunt weapon while wearing a mask and stole approximately 1.9 million won was arrested within two hours. On the first day of the holiday, the 24th, in Iksan-si, Jeonbuk Province, the police pursued and apprehended a drunk driver who fled after refusing to stop when ordered by police, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.119%, which is at the license cancellation level, after a chase of about 300 meters.

Warm-hearted police activities also continued. On the 23rd, the day before the holiday, in Cheongju-si, Chungbuk Province, the police received a report that an elderly person left a bag containing 2 million won in cash in a taxi, and after inquiries and reviewing CCTV footage, they found and returned the bag. On the 24th, in Iksan-si, Jeonbuk Province, a police officer on patrol found a patient who collapsed showing seizure symptoms on a bus, provided emergency care, and transported the patient to the hospital via 119.

A National Police Agency official said, "We will do our best to ensure crime prevention and safe traffic management until the last day of the holiday so that the public can spend a peaceful Lunar New Year holiday."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.