Despite Increased Traffic Volume, Peaceful Chuseok Holiday... Significant Decrease in Traffic Accidents

112 Reports Average Daily Increase of 11.8%
91 Illegal Entertainment Establishments Caught
Zero Fatalities in Drunk Driving Accidents
Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Slightly Rise

On the last day of the Chuseok holiday, the 22nd, returning travelers are moving after getting off the train at Seoul Station. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] During this Chuseok holiday period, although the overall number of 112 emergency calls increased compared to previous years due to increased movement, crime rates remained at similar levels to previous years, and traffic accidents significantly decreased. However, domestic violence and child abuse cases saw a slight increase.

The National Police Agency announced that from the 13th to the 22nd, comprehensive security activities were conducted during the Chuseok holiday, maintaining generally peaceful public order without major incidents or accidents.

According to the police, despite a daily average 11.8% increase in total 112 emergency calls during this Chuseok compared to last year, crime reports only rose by 1.2%, maintaining a similar level to the previous year. Notably, traffic accidents decreased by 21.3%.

This Chuseok holiday was expected to see increased security demands due to a rise in outdoor activity desires amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in vaccinated individuals, leading to more movement than last year. Accordingly, the police focused on supporting COVID-19 prevention during the holiday, pre-inspecting crime-vulnerable areas, responding swiftly and strictly to crimes, and ensuring traffic safety.

First, crime prevention diagnostics and visible patrols were conducted at crime-vulnerable locations such as jewelry stores, financial institutions, and convenience stores. Reporting guidelines were promoted both online and offline to prevent crimes and prepare for violent crime occurrences. Additionally, the police carried out strong crackdowns and preventive criminal activities against crimes infringing on everyday life such as violence, resulting in a slight decrease in 112 reports related to violence and property damage.

Considering the increased movement during the holiday, the police also strengthened support for COVID-19 prevention activities. Together with local governments and related agencies, they intensively inspected illegal operations such as unlicensed entertainment establishments and violations of quarantine guidelines, cracking down on a total of 91 cases involving 768 individuals. During the holiday, an epidemiological investigation support system was established, and highway patrol units were deployed to reduce crowd density at rest areas where large crowds gathered.

A remarkable achievement during this Chuseok holiday was in the field of traffic safety activities. As of the 21st, there were a total of 1,773 traffic accidents and 26 fatalities during the holiday, representing decreases of 21.3% and 23.5%, respectively, compared to last year’s Chuseok. The number of injured also dropped by 36.4% to 2,330. There were no fatalities caused by drunk driving accidents, and the number of drunk driving incidents decreased by 43.6%.

These results were influenced by the police’s proactive traffic safety efforts. The police collaborated with related agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korea Expressway Corporation, utilizing undercover patrol cars (67 units), helicopters (11 units), and drones (10 units) to implement three-dimensional traffic management, minimizing public inconvenience and maintaining smooth traffic flow. Personnel and equipment were concentrated and operated mainly in accident-prone areas, with ‘focused management of highway accident-prone sections’ and ‘Zero drunk driving fatalities’ selected as key tasks. All available personnel and equipment were mobilized to intensify safety and enforcement activities.

However, during this Chuseok holiday, reports of domestic violence increased by 3.6% daily on average, and child abuse reports rose by 59.9%. This is analyzed to reflect heightened awareness of domestic violence and child abuse recently, as well as a trend where suspected cases are promptly reported by those around them. During the holiday, the police conducted comprehensive monitoring of 16,060 households at risk of recurrence of domestic violence and child abuse cases, carried out joint investigations with related agencies, implemented emergency temporary measures when necessary, and engaged in victim protection and prevention activities. A National Police Agency official stated, "We will continue to maintain the security posture during the Chuseok holiday and do our best to ensure the safety of the public."

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