69th anniversary of 112 emergency service marked

North Gyeongsang Province police officers respond to a 112 emergency call. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency]
North Gyeongsang Province police officers respond to a 112 emergency call. [North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency]

Police officers who responded swiftly to stalking crimes and other emergency calls were honored Monday on the occasion of 112 Day.

The Korean National Police Agency said officers recognized for their contributions to combating stalking crimes — including Senior Patrol Officer Choi So-yeon of the Women and Youth Division at Seoul's Yeongdeungpo Police Station and Detective Sergeant Kim Sang-hyeon of the Criminal Investigation Division at the Gyeonggi Province Northern Police Agency — received the "Best Emergency Response Officer" commendation at a ceremony marking the 69th anniversary of the 112 emergency service.

Choi, who specializes in relationship-based crimes, proactively prevented dangerous situations by visiting the homes of stalking victims and taking preemptive safety measures. Kim closely monitored incoming reports and swiftly apprehended a stalking suspect who had fled the scene.

Inspector Kim Seong-yeop of the Geumgok District Unit at Bundang Police Station under the Gyeonggi Province Southern Police Agency was also named a top officer for apprehending a suspect who had committed a motiveless violent crime and fled, and for securing key evidence through a stop-and-frisk check.

Other officers receiving top commendations included Inspector Kim Ji-hwan of the Forensic Science Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency, who uncovered a homicide while examining the scene of a reported traffic accident; Detective Sergeant Kim Yeong-hwan of the Crime Prevention and Response Division at the South Gyeongsang Province Police Agency, who interviewed high-risk suicide attempt patients as part of a mental health emergency joint response team and connected them to emergency hospitalization; and Senior Inspector Jang Gyeong-su of the Security Division at Gongju Police Station under the South Chungcheong Province Police Agency, who commanded the initial response team at a major fire scene.

In the "Best Emergency Response Provincial Police Agency" category, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's 112 Integrated Operations Center and the Gyeonggi Province Southern Police Agency's 112 Integrated Operations Center received group commendations. Named "112 Officer of the Year" were Inspector Bae Ji-hye of the South Gyeongsang Province Police Agency's 112 Integrated Operations Center, Inspector Jeong Byeong-pil of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency's 112 Integrated Operations Center, and Inspector Lee Jeong-hyeon of the 112 Integrated Operations Team at Jincheon Police Station under the North Chungcheong Province Police Agency.

According to the Korean National Police Agency, police handle about 18 million 112 emergency calls each year. To strengthen response capabilities, the agency is building a next-generation AI-based 112 system.

An automatic shared-entrance access system for officers responding to 112 calls — rolled out nationwide from Oct. 19 — links building entry information to officers' work mobile phones so that lobby doors open automatically upon their arrival. The system is expected to help secure the critical window for on-scene response. "We will continue the transition to a future-oriented advanced public safety framework to enable more accurate and rapid situational assessment and field response," a Korean National Police Agency official said.

Acting Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol said 112 has "served as a reliable emergency bell, safeguarding public safety around the clock, 365 days a year, from the closest possible position to the people over the past 69 years." Kim added that the agency would "listen more attentively to the urgent voices of the public and firmly protect the safety and peace of daily life through the introduction of advanced systems."


arin@heraldcorp.com