Railway crimes in Korea rise 42%, with sexual offenses most common
Reported crimes on Korea's railways rose 42.3% from 2021 to 2025, with sexual offenses the largest category. Busan and Seoul stations recorded the most cases.
Commuters and subway officials are seen at a Seoul subway Line 5 station on Sept. 5.
YONHAP
The number of crimes reported on Korea’s railways jumped more than 42 percent over four years, with sexual offenses accounting for the largest share and occurring more than twice a day on average on trains and at stations.
A total of 15,177 railway crimes were reported from 2021 through June this year, of which 13,958 cases, or 92 percent, resulted in arrests, according to data from the Railway Police submitted to Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Hwang Hee, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee.
The number of reported crimes rose from 2,136 in 2021 to 2,891 in 2022, before dipping to 2,726 in 2023. It climbed again to 2,967 in 2024 and 3,039 last year.
Last year's figure represented a 42.3 percent increase from 2021. Another 1,418 cases were reported during the first half of this year.
Sexual offenses were the most common type of railway crime over the five-and-a-half-year period, accounting for 4,701 cases, or 31 percent of the total. That translates to an annual average of 855 cases and a daily average of 2.3 sexual offenses committed on trains or at stations.
Violent crimes followed with 3,148 cases, or 20.7 percent, while theft accounted for 1,938 cases, or 12.8 percent, and violations of the Railroad Safety Act for 908 cases, or 6 percent. Another 4,481 cases, or 29.5 percent, fell into other categories including property damage and fraud.
Busan Station recorded the largest number of railway crimes over the past five years, with 379 cases, followed by Seoul Station with 359, Suwon Station with 305, Dongdaegu Station with 262 and Yongsan Station with 251.
Suwon Station, however, recorded the most sexual offenses, with 92 cases. Sindorim Station followed with 56, while Hongik University, Wangsimni and Busan stations each recorded 47.
“Various crimes, including sexual offenses, are increasing on railways and at stations used by countless citizens,” Rep. Hwang said. “Effective public safety measures are needed, including stronger patrols and expanded CCTV coverage at major high-traffic stations, as well as more efficient deployment of Railway Police personnel.”
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[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.
