January 27, 2025
SEOUL – Recent findings showed reports of domestic violence during South Korea’s Lunar New Year holidays last year were 30 percent higher than the average daily figure.
According to data from the National Police Agency released by Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea, a total of 3,384 domestic violence incidents were reported nationwide over the four-day holiday last year. This averaged 846 cases per day, significantly higher than the annual daily average of 648 among the 236,647 reports filed throughout the year.
A similar pattern was observed in 2022, when the Lunar New Year holiday spanned five days. A total of 4,092 domestic violence cases were reported, with a daily average of 818. Similarly, in 2023, during the four-day holiday, 3,562 reports were filed, averaging 891 cases per day, or 41 percent more than the same year’s daily average.
Domestic violence also increased during last year’s Chuseok holiday. Over the five-day period from Sept. 14 to 18, 5,246 cases of domestic violence were reported, averaging 1,049 incidents per day.
Sexual crimes during last year’s Lunar New Year holiday numbered 267. Of these, 158 incidents involved rape or sexual assault, 43 concerned illicit photography, and 56 were related to inappropriate messages or calls. Additionally, 10 cases involved intrusions into public restrooms or other shared spaces with the intent to commit a sex crime.
Authorities have emphasized the need for heightened vigilance and proactive measures during holidays to prevent such crimes, especially this year, when the Lunar New Year break is unusually long.