Emergency Calls Surge During Fireworks Festival...Police Form Task Force, Arrest Sexual Offenders

Yeongdeungpo Police Station Mobilizes All Resources for Security

Deploys 20-Member Dedicated 112 Response Team at Festival Venue

It has been confirmed that over 400 emergency calls were made via 112 on the day of the Seoul World Fireworks Festival. The police organized a dedicated response team to handle the situation, and the event concluded without any safety incidents.

On the 5th, police managed the crowd at the Seoul International Fireworks Festival held in the Yeouido area of Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station

The Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul announced on the 18th that there were a total of 425 emergency calls related to the Seoul World Fireworks Festival received from the Yeouido area, Yeongdeungpo-gu, this year.

According to police, the number of 112 calls during this year’s fireworks festival, which was held on the 5th, increased by 52% compared to last year. Among these, three sexual assault cases and one theft case were detected. The police also cracked down on four other criminal activities, such as "seat fee" practices—where people preoccupy good viewing spots and then sell them to other spectators for money. The event ended without any major safety incidents.

This year, the festival was held earlier than usual, drawing large crowds despite the heat, which led to congestion in various areas of the venue. Yeongdeungpo Police Station managed the crowd by blocking access to high-risk zones and directing the flow of movement in one direction. In cases of excessive crowding, the police coordinated with Seoul Metro to have subway trains pass through without stopping at certain stations.

Police presence was significantly reinforced. The Metropolitan Prevention Patrol Unit and the Public Safety Task Force were deployed for preventive patrols, and staffing at the 112 situation room and Yeouido police substation was increased. Notably, due to the difficulty of patrol cars entering the event area because of the crowds, a separate "112 Response Team" of 20 officers was formed. When emergency calls came in, this team responded on foot rather than by vehicle.

Yeongdeungpo is a region with consistently high security demand due to the presence of the National Assembly and both ruling and opposition party offices, resulting in frequent rallies, protests, and emergency calls. A police official explained, "Given the overlap of existing security demands and the large-scale safety management required for the fireworks festival, we proactively established a safety plan and conducted multiple site inspections in advance." The official added, "The public’s cooperative attitude toward police control was particularly notable," and continued, "Based on the on-site findings and police response discussed in the festival review and analysis meetings, we will prepare to ensure another safe festival next year."

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Seoul Metropolitan Government are considering awarding commendations to police officers who contributed to safety management at this year’s fireworks festival.

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