Gyeonggi Fire Department Reports Serious Issue of 178,000 False 119 Calls from Phones Without SIM Cards

by Lee YeongKyu

Published 20 Apr.2022 07:27(KST)

Updated 14 Mar.2023 17:01(KST)

Gyeonggi Fire Department Reports Serious Issue of 178,000 False 119 Calls from Phones Without SIM Cards

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] It has been revealed that cases of mistaken dispatch due to unactivated mobile phones without SIM cards have significantly increased in Gyeonggi-do Fire Department.

The Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 20th that the number of '035' reports made through mobile phones without SIM cards in 2020 and 2021 was 178,906, of which 952 cases (0.5%) led to dispatch.

'035' is an international standard identification number created to prevent illegal distribution of stolen or lost mobile phones. When calling 119 with a mobile phone without a SIM card, this number automatically appears.

Seo Sam-gi, head of the Disaster Comprehensive Command Center at Gyeonggi Fire Department, said, "Many people believe that if the SIM card is removed, calls cannot be made at all, but emergency calls such as 119 are still possible," adding, "Since mistaken reports from SIM card-removed phones cause delays in emergency call reception and serious waste of firefighting resources, we ask that the use of unactivated devices be refrained from."