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Gov't unveils new safety measures, harsher penalties for child abduction cases

Published: 11 Nov. 2025, 19:00

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung briefs the press on new safety measures for children's school commutes at the government complex in central Seoul on Nov. 11. [YONHAP]

The Korean government will begin publicly releasing the identities of suspects in child abduction or luring cases and impose harsher penalties, according to new safety measures unveiled Tuesday. Police will also prioritize emergency calls made via the 112 police hotline involving suspected child abductions for immediate dispatch.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, along with the National Police Agency, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Welfare, announced a joint plan on Tuesday to improve safety for children on their way to and from school.

Under the new measures, the government will more actively disclose the personal information of suspects involved in serious abduction or luring cases. This is allowed under Korea’s current Act on Disclosure of Information on Specific Crimes. Prison sentences will also be lengthened — for example, kidnapping for financial gain, currently punishable by up to 10 years in prison, may be revised to carry a minimum of five years or even up to a life sentence.

Emergency calls related to child abductions made to 112 will now be classified as “top priority.” An Interior Ministry official said such calls will be designated as “Code 1 or higher,” ensuring the nearest patrol officers, detectives and rapid response units are all dispatched simultaneously. In some cases, emotional abuse charges under the Child Welfare Act may also be applied in conjunction.

The government also plans to introduce more hands-on educational programs using role play and scenario-based training to help children recognize and respond to luring attempts. Abduction prevention education will be incorporated into standard school safety training at least twice per semester.

Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung demonstrates a personal safety alarm during a joint press briefing on new safety measures for children's school commutes at the government complex in central Seoul on Nov. 11. [YONHAP]

Authorities will also focus on improving physical environments around school zones. Police, local governments and education offices will jointly inspect and address safety blind spots along school routes, applying more principles of crime prevention through environmental design.

In Asan, South Chungcheong, for example, local authorities removed street food vendors near an elementary school and installed surveillance cameras and convex mirrors for safety.

The government will also expand “walking school buses” — where groups of children walk to or from school with a designated adult leader — to cover all elementary school students, not just lower grades. Public-private partnerships will be tapped to distribute safety items such as personal safety whistles.

Parents see off their children at an elementary school in Seoul on Feb. 24. [NEWS1]

The new measures come in response to growing public concern. In August, an attempted abduction near an elementary school in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, raised alarm. Similar cases have since occurred in other regions, including one in September where a man in his 60s tried to drag a student by the backpack near a school crosswalk in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi.

According to the Interior Ministry, 187 cases of attempted or actual abduction of minors were reported nationwide between January and the end of October this year.

“Eradicating child abduction and luring crimes is a task that requires the collective effort of both the government and the public,” said Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung. “We will lead the way in making school routes safer and more secure so children can commute happily and safely.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM MIN-WOOK [[email protected]]