Four-legged friends help keep Seoul streets safe

Home > National > Social Affairs

Four-legged friends help keep Seoul streets safe

Published: 21 Mar. 2025, 16:54 Updated: 21 Mar. 2025, 16:59

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Go-deok, left, and Deok-cheon patrol the alleyways of Cheonho-dong in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, as part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Dog Patrol Program. [GANGDONG DISTRICT OFFICE]

Two friendly-looking shiba inus, Go-deok and Deok-cheon, patrol the alleyways near their home in Cheonho-dong, Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, wearing green uniforms every morning at 7 a.m.

Go-deok, 4, and Deok-cheon, 3, are part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Dog Patrol Program, launched in 2022. They joined the team last year after completing a training course run by the Gangdong District Office.

Along with their owner, 37-year-old Kim Jeong-sook, the two dogs patrol the neighborhood late at night or at dawn in Cheonho-dong and nearby Seongnae-dong.

“Although there are no financial benefits, I feel proud to contribute to making a safer place for people, especially during hours when the streets are empty,” Kim said.

The city government’s Dog Patrol Program provides opportunities for pet dogs to help protect their communities. Each team — comprising a dog and its owner — patrols the area and reports any safety concerns or incidents, such as road damage, to the authorities.

Last year, a total of 1,704 teams participated in the program. Since its launch in 2022, the city government has been recruiting new teams annually.

The program last year led to 476 reports to the 112 police hotline and 4,053 reports to the 120 Seoul Dasan Call Center, which provides assistance on everyday issues and serves as a channel for reporting concerns to city authorities.

Participants also logged a total of 87,411 patrol entries last year.

This year, the city plans to recruit around 2,000 teams. These teams will take part in joint patrols and launch campaigns on various safety issues, including youth guidance in May, drug prevention in June and women’s nighttime safety in September.

During heat waves and heavy rains, patrols will focus on inspecting crime-prevention facilities for potential damage.

Since the program’s launch, other municipalities have begun adopting similar initiatives.

“About 20 local governments, including Busan, Daejeon and the cities of Suwon and Gwacheon in Gyeonggi, are now operating Dog Patrol Programs,” a city official told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“Residents have expressed high satisfaction with the program, as it allows them to actively participate in small-scale governance alongside local authorities and police to enhance neighborhood safety.”

BY LEE SOO-KI, MOON HEE-CHUL AND CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]