Is South Korea Becoming Too Dangerous? Seoul’s Dodgiest Neighbourhoods
Seoul has a pretty good reputation as one of the safest cities in the world. But its ranking in the Safe Cities Index has dropped from 8th in 2019 to 25th in 2021. Here’s why.
Seoul is, by and large, an extremely safe place. Koreans take pride in that fact and my mum, when visiting a couple of years ago remarked constantly how safe she felt walking the streets alone; much safer in fact than she would have in London.
But is the façade slipping? Well, it is if you pay any attention to lists like the Safe Cities Index, published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). It now ranks Seoul as the 25th safest major world city down from 8th in 2019. The most surprising stat was a fall in the ‘personal safety’ rating, which has plummeted from a world-beating 87.5 in 2019 to a worrying 69.9 in 2021. Granted, it’s often best to take lists like this with a pinch of salt- the world’s “happiest country” is supposedly Denmark but every time I’ve visited, I’ve been met with a certain kind of Nordic joylessness I’d be hard-pressed to identify as ‘happy’. So these lists are somewhat relative. Still, in rankings mad Korea, the drop down the leaderboard is sure to lead to discomfort among onlookers.
Drugs
So what’s caused the slide? Well, there are a number of contributing factors. At the end of 2019, the Korea Times, an English language newspaper based in Seoul, published an article entitled “Korea is no longer a ‘drug free’ country”, lamenting the recent increase in drug-related crime across the nation. Until recently, Korea had a reputation as a drugs desert, but it seems things are changing. The article suggests that “the supply (of drugs in Korea) has increased to meet demand, and with the internet making it easier to trade illegal substances, drugs have become more accessible to a wider range of people.”
Spy Cam Porn
Another contributing factor is undoubtedly the “spy cam porn” epidemic that has been menacing Korean women for the past few years. The Independent newspaper reported in June 2021 that “South Korea is currently grappling with an epidemic of “spy cam porn” which usually involves men secretly filming women without their consent in places like toilets, changing rooms, and hotels. The footage obtained from the cybersex crime can then be sold for cash.” This has led to women avoiding bathroom breaks even in the workplace, as they can’t be sure there isn’t a camera watching their every move. Rather unsavoury stuff, I think we can all agree.
Which Areas are Most Dangerous?
But which parts of Seoul are the most dangerous? Researchers from Gyeonggi National University’s Police Administration and Criminology departments published a riveting-sounding paper titled “An Investigative Study on Crime Distribution at the Level of Seoul’s Administrative District” in April this year. It breaks down by city administrative district what kind of crimes are most common in each area.
The findings are rather interesting. According to the report, southwestern regions of town on the city outskirts are the places where murder and violent crimes are most likely to occur. These areas include Gangseo, Yeongdeungpo, and Guro.
The report goes on to note that drugs and gambling were concentrated in parts of Gangnam and Seocho. That’s right; Psy’s world-famous Gangnam district is the place where robbery, drugs and gambling crimes take root. This was linked in the report to the relative density of entertainment venues and liquor stores in the area, which can generate illegal activity in their general vicinities.
Perhaps most worryingly of all, the report states that more than half of all administrative districts in Seoul are classified as areas where sexual crimes occur frequently.
Final Thoughts
My own instincts and experiences living in South Korea for the last 10 years tell me you are much less likely to be attacked in Seoul, even than in top spot Copenhagen. Mugging, terrorism and other acts of random physical violence are still extremely rare here. Gyeonggi National University’s recent report however, shows that certain types of crime are on the rise in Korea like never before and it will be interesting to see where Seoul sits in the 2023 Safe City rankings.
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