Expansion of Smartwatch Distribution and Introduction of AI CCTV... Police Strengthen Personal Protection Measures

Jeju Middle School Student Murder Case Spurs
'Comprehensive Plan for Crime Victim Protection' Established

A, who is accused of killing a middle school student and fleeing in Jeju, is being transferred from Jeju Dongbu Police Station to Jeju District Court on the afternoon of the 21st to undergo a pre-arrest warrant hearing.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] In response to criticism that the police's victim protection measures were insufficient in the case of the murdered middle school student in Jeju, the police expressed condolences to the bereaved family and decided to implement strengthened personal protection measures.

On the 27th, Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated, "Crime prevention, investigation, and victim protection are two sides of the same coin," and added, "We will prepare a substantial 'Comprehensive Plan for Crime Victim Protection' by consulting external experts."

The police plan to first respond to the rapidly increasing demand for personal protection by securing and distributing additional smartwatches. The current 2,300 smartwatches will be increased to 3,000 by September, and further expanded to 3,700 by January next year. Additionally, to prevent recurrence of cases like the Jeju incident where smartwatches should have been issued but were not properly distributed, the police will strengthen real-time inventory management of smartwatches by each station, on-site inspections of personal protection status, and training for responsible personnel.

Furthermore, to enable officers in the field to accurately assess the necessity and subjects of personal protection, the police will collaborate with external experts to comprehensively consider perpetrator factors (criminal record, violence) and victim factors (degree of vulnerability to crime) by supplementing the 'Risk Assessment Checklist.' They also plan to enhance real-time monitoring and risk alert functions of personal protection closed-circuit (CCTV) systems by introducing 'Artificial Intelligence (AI)-type CCTV' capable of recognizing specific individuals' faces.

In addition, the police intend to include in the 'Comprehensive Plan for Crime Victim Protection' measures such as ▲strengthening victim personal protection ▲psychological, economic, and legal support tailored to victim types ▲victim information protection measures. In particular, they will also devise legal and institutional measures to prevent retaliatory crimes against victims.

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