Jeju Island crime rate and surveillance debate

Discussions regarding crime rates on Jeju Island have centered on the distinction between resident and transient populations. Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon characterized the island’s high crime rate per 100,000 residents as a “statistical illusion,” arguing that the influx of tourists inflates the rate because crimes committed by visitors are counted against a relatively small permanent resident population.

While Jeju maintains the highest per capita crime rate among South Korea’s provinces, experts note that total crime volume is lower than in regions like Gyeonggi Province. Data indicates that while certain offenses such as sexual harassment have increased, major violent crimes have trended downward over the last decade, with the per capita crime rate decreasing by 19.8% since 2015.

In response to public safety concerns and issues regarding missing persons, Jeju is expanding its technological surveillance. The province currently operates nearly 20,000 CCTVs and aims to increase the use of Artificial Intelligence in its monitoring systems from 58% to 75% to better detect anomalies and manage disasters.