Let's Expose Them All... Reports of Child Abuse Surge During Seollal Holiday (Comprehensive)

Increased Interest After the 'Jeongin Incident'
Average 47 Cases Reported Daily... Nearly Double Compared to Previous Year
Reduced Traffic Accidents Due to Less Movement
Deaths Down 67% and Injuries Down 41%

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] During the Lunar New Year holiday period, crimes and traffic accidents decreased compared to previous years, while reports of child abuse surged sharply.

According to the 'Lunar New Year Comprehensive Security Activities (February 1?14)' announced by the National Police Agency on the 15th, the average daily number of traffic accident deaths during the holiday was 4, a 66.7% decrease compared to the previous year, and the number of injuries was 391, down 40.9%. The police cracked down on 9,351 illegal acts such as reckless and selfish driving.

The number of 112 emergency calls for major crimes also decreased by 4.1%. Theft cases dropped by 16%, and domestic violence decreased by 1.9%. Strong crackdowns were conducted on crimes infringing on everyday life, such as robbery, theft, and neighborhood violence, resulting in the arrest of 1,011 offenders of domestic violence, 292 offenders of dating violence, and 27 offenders violating quarantine rules violently.

However, reports of child abuse averaged 47 cases per day, a sharp increase of 95.8% compared to previous years. This is interpreted as reflecting heightened social interest following the recent death of a 16-month-old adopted child in Yangcheon, Seoul (known as the ‘Jeong-in case’). In fact, on the day before the Lunar New Year holiday, a shocking case occurred in Gumi, Gyeongbuk, where a 3-year-old girl was found mummified, and on the 12th, in Iksan, Jeonbuk, a couple in their 20s was arrested for abusing and causing the death of a 2-week-old infant.

Separately, from January 25 to the day before the report, the police conducted crackdowns on 14,725 entertainment establishments nationwide for three weeks, resulting in a total of 145 cases and 982 people caught for violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Violations of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, including violations of gathering bans, were the most frequent with 103 cases and 912 people. Violations of the Food Sanitation Act accounted for 14 cases and 38 people, and violations of the Music Industry Act were 28 cases and 32 people, respectively.

In Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 9th at around 7:35 p.m., four people, including a business owner, were caught operating an unlicensed entertainment bar by employing entertainment workers despite being a general restaurant. On the same day in Busan, a karaoke room was caught operating while evading inspection after hiring nine hostesses, with 20 people apprehended.

Additionally, in Gwangju on the 9th at around 9:30 p.m., a karaoke room was caught operating with the door locked and serving reserved customers, resulting in eight arrests. On the 8th, entertainment bars in Cheongju, Chungbuk, and Jeonju were also cracked down on for operating with locked doors and serving reserved customers. The police plan to continuously monitor compliance with administrative orders at entertainment facilities in cooperation with local governments and others.

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