Child abuse cases surge during Chuseok holiday in South Korea

SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- Nearly 700 child abuse cases were reported during the Chuseok holiday, the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving, last year, data showed Thursday.

Authorities received 690 child abuse calls during last year's Chuseok holiday, up 72.5 percent from 400 such cases reported during the fall harvest holiday in 2024, according to the data provided by the Korean National Police Agency to Rep. Kim Joon-hwan of the ruling Democratic Party.

Reported cases of domestic violence also sharply rose, jumping 52.8 percent on-year to 8,017 during last year's holiday, the data showed.

Experts said as family members spent extended time together during the holiday, family conflicts appeared to escalate into violence, which often could spill over into child abuse.

Police previously pledged to heighten victim protection measures starting from the initial emergency call stage, while taking a zero-tolerance approach toward offenders.