Emergency bells to be installed at national parks

The Korea National Park said Wednesday it will install emergency call bells at 143 women restrooms in 20 national parks across the country, as part of its effort to make National Parks safer for visitors.

When a user pushes a bell inside a women’s restroom in an emergency, it will trigger a siren and emergency lights outside the restroom, giving a notice to passersby or park rangers in the vicinity.

The KNP will attach a sign underneath the lights installed outside the restroom that reads, “When the light is on, someone is in need of help, so please call the police.”  Authorities said connecting the emergency call directly to the police is currently under development.

Starting with public restrooms inside the park around areas prone to crime, such as camping sites or parking lots, authorities said it will make sure all 328 restrooms in national parks are equipped with emergency call bells by the end of 2017.

“We will fully cooperate with police and patrol divisions in the area to secure visitors’ security and curb crimes in the mountains,” said Cheong Jung-kwon, the head of the park facilities department at KNP.

Following recent crimes targeting female mountain hikers, public concerns have been raised over safety in mountains and nationals parks. Earlier last month, a 55-year-old woman was murdered on a hiking trail on Mount Sapaesan inside Bukhansan National Park. In May, a woman in her 60s was found dead on Mount Suraksan.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)