Seoul Police Receive 2,256 Citizen Proposals and Resolve 80%

Environmental Improvements and Enhanced Patrols... Crackdown on Illegal Leaflets
6.2% Decrease in 112 Emergency Calls... More Enforcement Against Harmful Businesses

As a result of the police directly collecting and addressing citizens' daily inconveniences, approximately 8 out of every 10 citizen proposals have been acted upon.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency building, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

On May 18, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had received a total of 2,256 citizen opinions over approximately three months, from February 1 to April 30, as part of the "Basic Order Re-design Project," and completed improvements on 1,802 of them (79.9%). This project is a citizen-participatory policing policy in which residents propose sources of disorder or danger in their daily lives, and the police, together with relevant organizations, promptly address and resolve these issues.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and local police stations formed consultative bodies with local governments, voluntary crime prevention groups, and community representatives, and collected citizen opinions through both online and offline channels. Citizens proposed inconveniences and areas needing improvement in their living spaces, and after on-site assessments, the police and local governments implemented customized improvements by type.

By category, requests for environmental improvements were the most common, with 952 cases submitted and 660 (69.3%) addressed. These included the installation of facilities such as CCTV, maintenance of vacant or abandoned houses, park environment improvements, and installation of smoking booths. There were 436 requests for stronger enforcement, of which 385 cases (88.3%) were addressed. Key targets included guidance on drunken disturbances or anxiety-causing behaviors, cracking down on illegal leaflet distribution, and enforcement against harmful businesses. There were 868 requests for increased patrols and for publicity or education, with 757 cases (87.2%) addressed.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency received a total of 2,256 citizen opinions during the "Basic Order Re-design Project," which was promoted from February 1 to April 30 over approximately three months. The photo shows the status of submissions and processing by proposal category. Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

The police explained that, following the implementation of the project, changes have also been observed in public safety indicators. During this period, the total number of 112 emergency calls decreased by 6.2% compared to the same period last year. In particular, 'Code 4' calls, which refer to counseling requests or simple complaints, fell by 14.1% year-on-year. The police believe that this project has had both direct and indirect effects in alleviating daily inconveniences for citizens.

According to the police, a total of 16,922 basic order violation crackdowns were carried out, an 85.5% increase compared to the same period last year. There were 92 crackdowns on harmful businesses around schools, a 37% increase from the previous year. Since July of last year, there have also been a total of 546 crackdowns on illegal leaflet distribution, resulting in the apprehension of 557 individuals.

Park Jeongbo, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said, "This project is significant in that it directly identifies and improves the small inconveniences and anxieties that citizens feel in their daily lives," adding, "We will continue to collaborate with local governments to secure budgets and revise relevant ordinances."

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