Governor Wi Seong-gon Walks the Night Streets Amid 'Public Safety Controversy'... Conducts Night Patrol in Yeon-dong Area of Jeju

Nighttime Lighting Inspected in Sammoo Park and Nuwemaru

Operation of CCTV and Emergency Bells Checked with Autonomous Police

Following recent investigative blunders in the Jeju disappearance and death cases, as well as his controversial remark in a broadcast interview that "walking in groups is safe," Jeju Province Governor Wi Seong-gon, who faced intense public criticism, responded to calls from the media and local community—including in this reporter’s notebook—for direct action. On the evening of the 1st, he took a hands-on approach to restoring public trust by walking through the busy Yeon-dong area of Jeju City, a tourist hotspot, together with members of the local police and other officials. He inspected the operation status of CCTVs and assessed nighttime lighting levels, marking the start of full-scale field efforts to address community concerns.

On the evening of the 1st, Jeju Governor Wi Seong-gon walked the streets at night in the Yeon-dong area of Jeju City, a tourist hotspot, together with the autonomous police unit and other officials. He conducted on-site inspections of CCTV operation status and nighttime illumination as part of a serious effort to address public concerns and improve security. Courtesy of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.

According to Jeju Province, starting at 7:15 p.m. on the 1st, Governor Wi conducted a 40-minute night patrol on foot. Joined by officials from the Safety and Health Bureau, the Tourism Exchange Bureau, and the Jeju Autonomous Police—which is the only directly administered police organization in the nation—he walked the route from the east entrance of Sammoo Park, through Nuwemaru Street, to the vicinity of Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation.

This patrol follows up on the “Interagency Meeting on Measures for a Safe Jeju” held on August 27 and marks the first time the top official has personally intervened in the field since public criticism surged over the administration's lax response.

Governor Wi verified each security camera and emergency bell within the patrol section one by one.

In particular, he personally pressed emergency call buttons to test whether immediate connection to the CCTV integrated control center was possible, and, by communicating with control staff, focused on checking whether live footage was displayed properly on the monitoring screens.

When a control worker explained, "If surrounding lighting is insufficient, the video is not clear and monitoring becomes difficult," Governor Wi responded by identifying sections where streetlights or wide gaps between lamps caused poor lighting. He then ordered, "Review specialized standards for night-time lighting tailored to nightlife and commercial areas, going beyond current installation guidelines."

He also directed the immediate repair of damaged pavement along Nuwemaru Street, which poses a walking hazard.

This move on the ground stands out as Governor Wi’s first substantive action following the backlash over his earlier comment that "unsafe spaces should be walked through in groups." The remark, combined with the police’s failure to address CCTV footage for 96 days, led to harsh criticism that the governor was deflecting administrative responsibility onto individuals. The local community and media—including this newspaper—had strongly urged, "The governor himself should conduct on-site patrols with the autonomous police and demonstrate decisive action for public safety."

Based on the findings of this inspection, Jeju Province plans to conduct a comprehensive review of lighting and surveillance blind spots in downtown commercial zones and high-traffic tourist areas, carefully analyze crime and accident reporting data, and promptly use these results to reallocate patrol personnel and upgrade security infrastructure.

Governor Wi stated, "The basic foundation of nighttime safety is securing sufficient brightness," adding, "We will carefully examine risk factors on the ground and quickly improve what is necessary so that residents and tourists alike can walk safely at night."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.