Less crime on Busan beaches this summer: police

Busan’s seven major beaches saw less crime this summer, including fewer sex offenses, compared with previous years.

Busan police said Tuesday that the number of vacationers on Busan’s beaches dropped from about 48.2 million in June-August of 2017 to around 41.1 million in the same period this year.

“Summer police squads” patrolled all seven beaches this year as part of efforts to prevent crime.

There were 40 instances of five major crimes -- murder, robbery, rape, theft and assault -- on the beaches this summer, police said, a significant drop from 70 in the same period last year. Reports through the 112 police call center also declined, by 11.6 percent.

Twenty-seven of the crimes took place at Haeundae Beach, followed by 10 at Gwangalli Beach and one each at Songdo, Songjeong and Dadaepo beaches.

The number of sex crimes declined from 17 last summer to seven this summer, and other violent crimes from 10 to three.

Three cases of illegal filming and four cases of sexual molestation occurred, all of them committed by Korean nationals.

In June-August last year, non-Korean nationals committed 11 sex crimes at the Busan beaches.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)