Police officers are deployed in front of an elementary school in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul as South Korea ramped up safety measures for elementary school students in response to a series of recent abduction attempts targets minors. (Newsis)
Police officers are deployed in front of an elementary school in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul as South Korea ramped up safety measures for elementary school students in response to a series of recent abduction attempts targets minors. (Newsis)

South Korean police will deploy more than 55,000 officers — including local patrol units, mobile police units and traffic police around elementary schools nationwide — in response to a series of recent abduction attempts targeting minors.

The Korean National Police Agency announced Friday that police officials will be deployed near 6,183 elementary schools nationwide, with officers stationed around key walking routes and nearby intersections during school commuting hours.

Officers will monitor for suspicious activity, such as people loitering near children, prolonged vehicle parking and people suspected to be carrying dangerous objects, and conduct stop-and-search operations when necessary.

According to the KNPA, the mobilization includes 48,347 local police, 2,552 officers from mobile police units, 3,152 traffic police and 1,135 school police officers. If needed, the police agency added that additional mobile units and investigators could also be deployed.

In addition to the 55,000 police officers, police added that they would also work with civic groups such as child protection volunteers and neighborhood safety watch teams to conduct joint patrols.

Local governments will also work to strengthen the monitoring systems of security cameras installed near the elementary schools.

The intensive monitoring will be conducted at up to 217 municipal control centers, with security camera footage shared with police in real time to allow rapid intervention. Crime prevention teams under the KNPA will also carry out detailed safety assessments around school zones and commute routes to prevent other safety accidents from affecting children.

Separately from the KNPA, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency also issued Emergency School Bells on Friday for 1,373 schools, as well as 780,000 parents. The Emergency School Bell is an online system that provides schools and parents with real-time information on incidents targeting youth, along with guidance on how to respond.

An elementary school student holds a safety alarm distributed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday. Called "safety bells," the alarms are small keychain-like devices that emit a piercing 100-decibel alarm when pressed. (Joint Press Corps)
An elementary school student holds a safety alarm distributed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday. Called "safety bells," the alarms are small keychain-like devices that emit a piercing 100-decibel alarm when pressed. (Joint Press Corps)

Additionally, the Seoul Metropolitan Government added Friday that it would provide all elementary school students with personal safety alarms starting next year.

The city had previously distributed approximately 113,000 devices to first- and second-graders across 606 schools earlier this year. The program will now be expanded to cover all grades, bringing the total number of recipients to 360,000 students.

The city government added that it would also distribute 100,000 additional “Help Me” alarms within the year. Unlike the basic safety bell, this device is also linked to safety control centers in district offices. When activated, it not only sounds an alarm but also alerts nearby police and sends the child’s location to up to five guardians via text message.

The sweeping measures come after three men in their 20s allegedly attempted to kidnap elementary school children in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Aug. 28.

A series of similar incidents followed. On Wednesday, a man in his 60s was booked in Gangbuk-gu, northern Seoul, for attempting to forcibly hug a 9-year-old child. On the day before, a man in his 30s was booked in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, after attempting to lure an elementary school girl into his car with the offer of a part-time job.


lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com