"So Residents Won't Feel Anxious," Police Conduct Joint Patrols at Crowded Public Places

Seoul Jungbu Police Station and Volunteer Patrol Association Patrol Dongdaemun Area

Following a series of incidents, including a recent knife attack in Incheon, that have heightened public anxiety, police conducted joint public-private patrols at crowded public places, including large shopping malls in their jurisdiction, and checked for security vulnerabilities.

Kim Kyungwoon, chief of the Seoul Jungbu Police Station, and others conduct on-site inspections on the night of the 13th at crowded public places within their jurisdiction, including Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station. Seoul Jungbu Police Station.

The Seoul Jungbu Police Station said on October 14 that it had conducted on-site inspections at crowded public places in its jurisdiction, including Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and shopping malls, from 8 to 9 p.m. on October 13, and carried out joint patrols with a civilian volunteer crime prevention group. The patrols involved 10 police officers, including Seoul Jungbu Police Station Chief Kim Kyungwoon and officers from the Eulji Police Substation, as well as 15 volunteer patrol members.

Immediately after a knife attack took place in Incheon the previous day, Seoul Jungbu Police Station stepped up patrols and criminal investigations in densely crowded areas within its jurisdiction, including major transfer stations such as Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and Euljiro 3-ga Station, as well as markets, shopping malls, and entertainment districts. The station also plans to proactively identify places at high risk of crime through security assessments of vulnerabilities and to conduct tailored prevention activities that take into account vulnerable times and the characteristics of each area.

Chief Kim Kyungwoon said, "We will do our utmost to prevent crime and ease residents' anxiety through visible patrols at crowded public places and by addressing security vulnerabilities." Lee Sugil, head of the volunteer crime prevention association, also said, "We will continue crime prevention patrols with the police so that residents and merchants in densely crowded areas can feel safe."

At about 1:49 p.m. the previous day, a knife attack occurred at a commercial complex in Namdong-gu, Incheon. A 59-year-old man, identified only as A, reportedly rode an escalator from the basement, where a large supermarket is located, up to the second and third floors above ground, where other stores are located, swinging a knife at random members of the public before being subdued by another visitor.

Eight people suffered moderate to serious injuries in the attack, and no one was killed. A was wearing an electronic monitoring device (ankle monitor) for a past crime and had recently been booked on suspicion of possessing a weapon, according to reports. The Incheon Namdong Police Station plans to seek a detention warrant for A on suspicion of attempted murder.

Acting National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jongcheol chaired an emergency meeting of bureau chiefs and a video conference with the heads of metropolitan and provincial police agencies nationwide, in that order, and called for a full-scale response. He then went to the scene and received a briefing on the investigation and measures taken. This week, Acting Commissioner Kim plans to review shortcomings in the prevention of violent crime and the response to crimes involving personal relationships, and consider ways to improve them.

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