South Korean police deploy 55,000 officers to protect kids amid string of abduction attempts

SEOUL – The South Korean police will deploy more than 55,000 officers – including local patrol units, mobile police units and traffic police around elementary schools nationwide – in response to a series of recent abduction attempts targeting minors.

The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on Sept 12 that police officials will be deployed near 6,183 elementary schools nationwide, with officers stationed around key walking routes and nearby intersections during school commuting hours.

Officers will monitor for suspicious activity, such as people loitering near children, prolonged vehicle parking and people suspected to be carrying dangerous objects, and conduct stop-and-search operations when necessary.

According to the KNPA, the mobilisation includes 48,347 local police, 2,552 officers from mobile police units, 3,152 traffic police and 1,135 school police officers. If needed, the police agency added that additional mobile units and investigators could also be deployed.

In addition to the 55,000 police officers, the police added that they would also work with civic groups such as child protection volunteers and neighbourhood safety watch teams to conduct joint patrols.

Local governments will also work to strengthen the monitoring systems of security cameras installed near the elementary schools.

The intensive monitoring will be conducted at up to 217 municipal control centres, with security camera footage shared with the police in real time to allow rapid intervention.

Crime prevention teams under the KNPA will also carry out detailed safety assessments around school zones and commute routes to prevent other safety accidents from affecting children.

Separately from the KNPA, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency also issued Emergency School Bells on Sept 12 for 1,373 schools and 780,000 parents.

The Emergency School Bell is an online system that provides schools and parents with real-time information on incidents targeting youth, along with guidance on how to respond.

Additionally, the Seoul Metropolitan Government added that it would provide all elementary school students with personal safety alarms from 2026.

The city had previously distributed approximately 113,000 devices to first- and second-graders across 606 schools earlier in 2025. The programme will now be expanded to cover all grades, bringing the total number of recipients to 360,000 students.

The city government added that it would also distribute 100,000 additional “Help Me” alarms within the year.

Unlike the basic safety bell, this device is also linked to safety control centres in district offices. When activated, it not only sounds an alarm, but also alerts nearby police and sends the child’s location to up to five guardians via text message.

The sweeping measures come after three men in their 20s allegedly attempted to kidnap elementary school children in Seoul’s Seodaemun-gu on Aug 28.

A series of similar incidents followed. On Sept 10, a man in his 60s was booked in Gangbuk-gu, northern Seoul, for attempting to forcibly hug a nine-year-old child. The day before, a man in his 30s was booked in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, after attempting to lure an elementary school girl into his car with the offer of a part-time job. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK