Be Careful When Hiking on October Weekends from 1 to 3 PM

Seoul City Safety Measures Implemented... Rescue Dispatches Most Frequent Among People in Their 50s

In the Seoul area, mountain accidents such as getting lost and slipping most frequently occurred on weekends in October, the autumn season, between 1 PM and 3 PM. The age group with the highest number of lost incidents was people in their 20s, while slip and fall accidents were most common among those in their 50s. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to implement data-driven safety measures for mountain accidents in preparation for the increase in hiking and walking trips during the autumn season.

Jirisan Piagol Autumn Foliage
Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Korea Forest Service, the population engaging in hiking and walking trips has been increasing annually, with 78% of adults nationwide going to the mountains at least once a month. Recently, mountain accidents have also been on the rise. Last year, a total of 1,429 mountain accidents occurred in Seoul, a 54% increase compared to 925 cases in 2019.

The number of fire department dispatches due to mountain accidents in Seoul over the past three years totaled 5,562. In particular, the number of dispatches, which did not exceed 1,000 annually before the spread of COVID-19, increased to 1,217 in 2020 and 1,287 in 2021. Last year, for the first time in five years, the number of accidents in October surpassed 200 cases. This year, 710 cases have already occurred in the first half of the year.

The locations of the Su-rak Mountain distress accident and the Achasan slip and fall accident in Seoul.
[Photo by Seoul City]

The time period with the highest frequency of accidents was between 1 PM and 3 PM, with the number of accidents on Sundays during this time nearly four times higher than on weekdays.

By age group, those in their 50s were the most frequent rescue subjects, but the numbers for people in their 20s and 60s have also increased since COVID-19. People in their 20s experienced more lost incidents, while those in their 50s had more slip and fall accidents, indicating the need for age-specific preventive measures.

Big data analysis by the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed that the five mountains with frequent accidents?Gwanaksan, Bulamsan, Suraksan, Achasan, and Inwangsan?displayed differences in accident locations depending on the causes and mountain characteristics. For example, the section from Anbu Samgeori to Chimabawi on Suraksan had more lost incidents, while the area near Haemaji Park to Haemaji Scenic Spot on Achasan had relatively more slip and fall (ankle sprain) accidents.

Number of mountain accident fire dispatches by time zone in the Seoul area (left) and proportion of accident causes by age group of rescue targets (right). [Photo by Seoul City]

Accordingly, the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters will implement customized safety measures in October considering the types of accidents by mountain, including ▲ updating mountain safety maps ▲ mountain accident prevention campaigns ▲ mountain rescue training by accident-prone area types.

For rapid life-saving operations, they plan to identify key terrain and helicopter guidance routes in accident areas and conduct joint training with related organizations such as the police, local governments, and private groups, as well as on-site fire department drone training for searching lost persons.

Through mountain accident prevention campaigns, they will also provide information on accident causes and locations by region and offer first aid education.

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