Police launch special Lunar New Year security operation, vow "all-out efforts for a peaceful holiday"

With the Lunar New Year holiday approaching, the police are launching a special security operation to ensure a safe break for the public.
The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) announced on the 8th that it will implement a ten-day "2026 Lunar New Year Special Security Operation" from February 9 to 18.
This year’s Lunar New Year holiday lasts five days, similar to previous years, but travel to and from hometowns and family gatherings are expected to be concentrated in a short period, significantly increasing demand for police services. In particular, as family contact rises during the holidays, so-called "relationship-based crimes" such as domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking tend to surge well above normal levels, making it a time when stronger policing is required.
In response, the KNPA plans to focus all available police resources in the field, with its top priority set as delivering "a peaceful holiday that people can truly feel."
First, about 50,000 local police officers, 2,000 members of mobile patrol units, and 2,480 officers from 31 riot police units will be deployed as much as possible to frontline public safety sites to strengthen visible patrols. The police will also work closely with community groups, including some 100,000 members of voluntary crime-prevention patrols, to eliminate blind spots in security coverage.
Centered on the Crime Prevention and Diagnosis Team (CPO), the police will thoroughly assess crime- and accident-prone risk factors in each jurisdiction and move quickly to complete improvements before the holiday begins. To reassure residents, patrol routes will be set with a focus on vulnerable locations, and officers will combine fixed-point duties with linked patrols to concentrate on preventive activities.
In particular, mobile patrol units will be assigned specific responsibilities by team, such as responding to relationship-based crimes and preventing alcohol-related violence. Before the holiday, they will focus on businesses vulnerable to robbery and theft, such as financial institutions, and during the holiday they will adjust working hours to concentrate on crowded areas like train stations and bus terminals, allowing for flexible responses to changing security needs.
At the same time, the KNPA’s situation room will assign a commissioner-level situation manager during the holiday to maintain a seamless incident management system centered on the 112 Emergency Call Control Center. For relationship-based crimes, the police will conduct a full review of households at risk of repeat offenses and other high-risk individuals before the holiday to block danger factors in advance. If an incident occurs, the 112 Emergency Call Control Center will serve as the command hub, and local police, detectives, and mobile patrol units will be dispatched simultaneously for an all-out response.
In addition, the police will implement phased traffic control tailored to changes in travel patterns and traffic volume over time. They will also pursue a wide range of measures to protect public safety, including supporting responses at wildfire sites, managing crowds at local festivals and other mass gatherings, and prohibiting the release of firearms currently stored at police stations.
Jaesung Yoo, Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, said, "We will marshal all of the police’s capabilities so that people can enjoy the holiday with peace of mind," adding, "We will focus on making this Lunar New Year break the safest ever from crime and accidents."
welcome@fnnews.com Reporter Jang Yoo-ha Reporter