Domestic violence reports surge during Chuseok holidays
Police logged 42 percent more daily domestic violence reports during Chuseok this year, which also represented a 13 percent increase over last year's numbers.
The logo of the police
JOONGANG ILBO
Reports of domestic violence to police rose by more than 40 percent compared with the daily average during this year’s Chuseok holidays, and even higher than last Chuseok.
An average of 1,294 domestic violence reports per day were provisionally recorded during the Chuseok holidays — from Thursday to Sunday — according to the National Police Agency on Sunday. The figure was 42.4 percent higher than this year’s daily average of 908.9 and up 13 percent from the daily average of 1,145.3 during Chuseok holidays in 2025.
Reports of dating violence also increased 16.4 percent to 356 per day during the holidays from the usual daily average of 305.8. Stalking reports edged up 0.6 percent to 154.7 per day from 154, while reports of child abuse fell 12.4 percent to 105.7 from 120.7.
The extent to which reports of crimes involving people in close relationships increased during the holidays compared to normal periods was smaller than during last year’s Chuseok holidays, according to police.
However, the average daily numbers of domestic violence and stalking reports during this year’s holidays were higher than last year.
The overall number of calls to the 112 police emergency number during the Chuseok holidays increased 4.3 percent from this year’s daily average. Crime-related reports, however, fell 2.2 percent and traffic-related reports declined 1.2 percent.
Police implemented comprehensive security measures for the Chuseok holidays for 11 days from Sept. 17 through Sunday. An average of 25,805 personnel were deployed each day during the period for crime prevention and responses to incidents and accidents.
Ahead of the holidays, police checked on 31,605 victims of crimes involving close relationships, including domestic violence and stalking. Information on 9,055 people considered at high risk was shared with local police and emergency call centers.
Police also inspected 53,516 areas considered vulnerable to crime, including traditional markets, train and bus stations and neighborhoods with high concentrations of single-person households.
Police arrested 6,889 suspects accused of crimes affecting people’s daily lives, including robbery, theft and violence, during the period in which the comprehensive security measures were in place. Of those arrested, 141 were formally detained. Police also located people involved in 4,499 missing persons reports.
“Even after the holidays, we will proactively identify risks of crimes and accidents in people’s daily lives and focus our capabilities on strengthening public safety to protect the sense of security people experience in their everyday lives,” the National Police Agency said.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]
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.
