During this year's Lunar New Year holiday, 112 emergency calls increased by more than 8% from the same period a year earlier, according to figures on Feb. 18.
The Korean National Police Agency said that from the 9th to the 18th, the period of the "Lunar New Year holiday special public safety measures," 112 calls rose 8.6% from the same period a year earlier, adding that "there were no major incidents or accidents."
Average daily expressway traffic reached 5,638,000 vehicles, up 22.6% from a year earlier.
The Korean National Police Agency said it concentrated 310,621 police officers (cumulative headcount; a daily average of 31,062) at public safety sites nationwide, including mobile units, local police, mobile patrol units, detectives, and traffic police.
To respond to violent crimes, nighttime detective staffing was increased by 43.1% from normal levels, and as a result, 7,921 criminal suspects in offenses such as assault, robbery, and theft were apprehended.
Mobile units, which are mainly deployed to rallies and demonstrations, assigned an average of 3,040 officers a day (38 units) and conducted patrols focused on crime-prone areas and crowded places.
Centered on the Crime Prevention Officers (CPO), the Korean National Police Agency said it conducted preemptive monitoring of 20,259 individuals at risk of repeat "relationship-based" crimes and concurrently carried out intensive management of 4,306 high-risk individuals. It also said it inspected and improved 3,304 crime-vulnerable factors.
The Korean National Police Agency also noted that it strengthened safety activities at wildfire sites, regional festivals, and multiuse facilities such as airports and terminals, as well as at facilities vulnerable to terrorism.
The Korean National Police Agency said, "By concentrating 310,000 officers in the field, we were able to maintain stable public safety without major incidents or accidents," adding it will continue prevention-focused policing.