"People Confused by 112 Emergency Calls Reporting 'Ordering Suyukgukbap'"

Potential Victims
Promotion of 'Silent 112 Calls' Is Insufficient

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] "I want to order suyuk-gukbap." This was a report call received at 4:57 PM on the 20th of last month. Officer A found the trembling voice of the female caller suspicious and requested on-site dispatch to the local police station, rescuing a woman in her 20s. There are also cases where taxi drivers report their vehicle color and location to 112 to catch voice phishing criminals.

Concerns are being raised that the disclosure of report details known only to the police through media reports may create potential victims. Especially as sensitive cases such as dating violence and stalking crimes are exposed, there is worry that it could actually increase harm when victims face danger in the future.

Jo Ara (34) said, "If details of reports like dating violence are exposed, I think there might be suspicion when I am truly in danger later." Lee Soyoung (22) said, "While the police did well, I don't think it is appropriate to disclose the cases," adding, "Since it is connected to victim protection, report details must be strictly confidential." There are also supportive voices. Kim Kyunghee (28) responded positively, saying, "I was able to learn how to respond in urgent situations," and "It helped raise awareness about crime."

The police stated that they plan to refrain from exposing individual cases in the future. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official explained, "If cases are disclosed one by one, it could cause concern when reporting in the future," and "We plan not to disclose cases from the police side."

Most ordinary citizens were also unaware of the recently introduced ‘Silent 112 Report’ by the police. A police officer working at a frontline 112 situation room in Seoul said, "From last month until the 10th of this month, there have been no cases received through silent 112 reports so far." The silent 112 report is when the reporter calls 112 and presses number buttons according to police guidance, after which the police send a 112 link visible on the reporter’s mobile phone. Shim Yeonhee (43) said, "I have never heard of the silent 112 report," but added, "If you are not familiar with the method beforehand, it might actually be harder to use in an emergency."

Professor Lee Woonghyuk of Konkuk University’s Department of Police Science emphasized, "When a potential perpetrator intends to carry out a certain harmful attack, there may be a need to manage the victim more closely," and stressed, "Caution is necessary when using this for media public relations materials."

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