Police "Preparing Additional Measures for Special Security Activities... Reviewing Patrol Locations and CCTV Installation"

The police have indicated their intention to prepare additional measures related to the recent sexual assault incident in Sillim-dong, Seoul.

On the 21st, the National Police Agency stated in a written briefing material, “We will devise countermeasures regarding crimes occurring in secluded areas like this incident,” adding, “While continuing the special security activities, we will carefully review the deployment bases and patrol locations, and cooperate with local governments to consider supplementary measures such as installing closed-circuit television (CCTV).”

Following a series of violent knife attacks in Sillim-dong, Seoul, and Seohyeon Station in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, the police selected 47,260 densely populated locations where crime is a concern and deployed a total of 282,299 personnel, including local police, detectives, and riot police, to conduct special security activities.

However, the special security activities lost their significance after the sexual assault murder incident in Sillim-dong last week, leading to criticism that the efforts were merely for show. In response, a police official explained, “The special security activities are aimed at preventing abnormal motive crimes such as knife attacks in densely populated places like Sillim Station and Seohyeon Station,” adding, “Visible power patrols are intended to suppress criminal intent and alleviate residents’ anxiety, and police forces were especially concentrated at locations where murder threats were posted.”

Earlier, Choi (30, male) is suspected of assaulting and raping a female victim, A, with a metal knuckle tool in a mountain area off the trail of Gwanaksan Mountain at around 11:44 a.m. on the 17th. It was confirmed that Choi and A were strangers. After A, who was unconscious and hospitalized, died on the 19th, the police changed Choi’s charge from sexual assault causing injury to sexual assault murder. Additionally, a personal information disclosure review committee will be held on the 23rd to decide whether to disclose Choi’s identity. Sexual assault murder is a crime subject to personal information disclosure under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes (Specific Violent Crimes Act).

The police also plan to investigate a total of 20 apartment complexes and 91 companies related to design, construction, and supervision, as well as internal employees responsible for related tasks, following a request from the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) on the 4th regarding poor construction of flat slab structures confirmed in apartment complexes. The National Police Agency assigned investigations to the Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency for 6 complexes, Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency for 4 complexes, Chungnam Police Agency for 3 complexes, Gyeongnam Police Agency for 2 complexes, and Seoul, Incheon, Gwangju, Chungbuk, and Jeonbuk Police Agencies for one complex each.

Furthermore, the police explained that as a result of a special crackdown on fraudulent receipt of national subsidies conducted since June this year, a total of 126 cases involving 339 people have been arrested nationwide so far, with 2 people detained. Additionally, investigations and inquiries are ongoing for 367 cases involving 1,094 people. They uncovered fraudulent receipts amounting to 8.78 billion KRW, confiscated and recovered 1.15 billion KRW, and notified the relevant institutions for refund measures.

Moreover, the police reported that they are investigating a total of 18 cases related to the ‘2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree,’ which concluded on the 12th. The types of crimes include 5 cases of theft and assault, 4 cases of sexual harassment, 3 cases of trespassing, and one case each of negligent injury, public obscenity, rape, violation of the Child Welfare Act, violation of the Emergency Medical Service Act, and dereliction of duty.

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