37% of Railway Crimes Are 'Sex Crimes'... 5,000 CCTV Cameras to Be Installed

Ministry of Land Launches Service... Rapid Response to Railway Crimes

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 8th that it has launched a project this year to install security AI CCTV cameras in major railway stations to prevent railway crimes.

Based on the research project, an intelligent video information analysis system suitable for preventing railway crimes will be established starting in October, and by 2024, approximately 5,000 AI CCTV cameras will be installed in major railway stations along key lines such as the Gyeongbu and Honam lines.

In this project, the Ministry plans to establish a system where AI CCTV cameras can detect crimes occurring at major stations and immediately notify the railway police. Additionally, AI CCTV locations will be virtually installed on 3D indoor maps of major stations, and through three-dimensional analysis, CCTV positions, shooting angles, and distances suitable for video interpretation will be optimized to minimize blind spots.

Replacing the long hours of CCTV analysis previously done by personnel with an AI system is expected to enable rapid crime response by improving processing time. While it took about 60 minutes for one person to search CCTV footage, using the AI system reduces this to 6 minutes.

Over the past five years, a total of 10,837 crimes have occurred on railways, with sexual crimes accounting for 37% (4,017 cases), the highest proportion. Most of these involved filming using cameras and molestation in crowded public places. Theft, embezzlement, assault, and violations of the Railway Safety Act followed.

In terms of timing, crimes occurred most frequently during the hottest season of the year, summer (June to August), followed by spring, autumn, and winter.

Crimes were concentrated mainly at night (8 PM to midnight) with 4,070 cases (about 38%), among which sexual crimes (1,611 cases, about 40%) were the most frequent. Next were assault (18%) and theft (10%).

By location, 6,942 cases (64%) occurred within station premises, and 3,895 cases (36%) occurred inside trains. By train type, crimes were most frequent on electric trains (2,269 cases, 58%), followed by high-speed trains and regular trains.

Im Jong-il, Director of Railway Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "Once AI CCTV is established in railway stations, a faster and more efficient response system will be in place, enhancing the safety of railway passengers."

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