A staged image depicting domestic violence. [Getty Images Bank]
A staged image depicting domestic violence. [Getty Images Bank]

Domestic violence reports filed with police during last year's Chuseok holiday jumped more than 40% above the daily average, with the number of holiday-period reports rising every year, new data shows.

According to data submitted to People Power Party lawmaker Kim Ye-ji by the Korean National Police Agency, a total of 8,017 domestic violence calls were made to the 112 emergency line during the seven-day Chuseok holiday from Oct. 3 to Oct. 9 last year — an average of 1,145 per day.

The total number of domestic violence reports received throughout last year was 289,368, or an average of 792 per day. By that measure, the daily average during the Chuseok holiday was 44.5% higher than normal.

During this year's Lunar New Year holiday, from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18, an average of 1,088 domestic violence reports were filed per day — 37.3% above last year's daily average.

The daily average number of domestic violence reports during the Chuseok period has risen every year.

During the Chuseok holidays, 4,568 reports were filed over five days in 2021 (an average of 914 per day), 3,660 over four days in 2022 (915 per day), 5,623 over six days in 2023 (937 per day), and 5,246 over five days in 2024 (1,049 per day).

On Lunar New Year's Day in 2024, two brothers got into an argument over money at an apartment in Jeonju and the dispute escalated into a knife fight.

Police said they would strengthen victim protection from the initial reporting stage and take strict action against perpetrators, given the sharp increase in relationship-based crimes such as domestic violence during holiday periods.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com