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Sharp rise in domestic violence reports over Chuseok, police up staffing and patrols to cover

Published: 10 Oct. 2025, 07:41 Updated: 10 Oct. 2025, 10:15

The police logo as seen on a police station window [YONHAP]

Korea saw a sharp rise in domestic and relationship-based violence reports during this year’s long Chuseok holiday, according to police on Thursday.

Authorities from the National Police Agency said that emergency calls related to domestic violence, dating violence and child abuse rose significantly during the holiday from Oct. 3 to Thursday. Reports of dating violence jumped by 21 percent compared to the same period last year, while domestic violence increased by 12.7 percent and child abuse by 14 percent.

In preparation for possible crime surges over the holiday, police rolled out a nationwide security plan that mobilized an average of 26,798 officers each day — nearly 295,000 personnel in total. Their efforts centered on high-visibility patrols and targeted enforcement in areas considered at higher risk.

Officers tracked 21,199 individuals recently affected by relationship-based crimes and identified 4,776 as high-risk, stepping up monitoring and patrols in their neighborhoods. Police also conducted pre-emptive checks at 4,294 locations flagged as vulnerable to criminal activity or accidents.

To improve nighttime responsiveness, authorities increased the number of night-duty investigators by 36.6 percent, deploying 27,966 personnel during evening hours.

Over the course of the holiday, police handled 6,593 cases involving violent crime, robbery and theft, arresting 7,234 suspects — 178 of whom were taken into custody.

Traffic enforcement also played a major role. Police assigned an average of 582 traffic officers per day, helping to cut daily traffic accidents by nearly half — from 65.6 to 33 cases — a 49.7 percent drop from the previous year.

Officers bolstered patrols around cash-handling businesses, including banks and convenience stores, and increased their presence near the residences of individuals deemed at high risk for domestic or dating violence. Police said these efforts helped reduce the number of emergency calls made to the 112 hotline.

BY YONHAP, PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]