By Lee Kyung-min
People who make prank 112 emergency calls will face up to five years in prison or a 10 million won fine ($9,400), police said Sunday. First-time violators will no longer avoid criminal prosecution if the act is deemed clearly premeditated and squandering police resources.
The more stringent “one-strike-out” or zero-tolerance warning about pranks came on April Fool's Day, when people pull pranks expecting to avoid the consequences. “Responding to prank calls wastes our resources that should be devoted to resolving emergencies of an urgent, time-sensitive nature, including violent crimes,” a police officer as quoted as saying. “We strongly urge citizens to refrain from such acts that could put those who really need immediate help at risk.”
The number of prank calls has been increasing over the past five years. According to National Police Agency data, 4,192 people were punished for making such calls in 2017 more the double the number of cases (1,837) in 2013. More than 140 people were arrested on court-issued warrants. The “practical joke” resulted in the mobilization of more than 31,400 police and nearly 9,500 police vehicles, a waste of taxpayers' valuable money, police added.
The most recent case was on March 19, when a man was arrested three hours after he drunkenly phoned police claiming he had placed a bomb at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul. The man in his 30s, whose identity was withheld, told police threatening the bomb would go off in 10 minutes, after which 130 police and 20 police vehicles were mobilized, including the bomb disposal unit. Patients and their families were prepared for evacuation.
Those who make 112 calls about non-emergencies will be also punished, police said. “Some people call 112 because they need someone to listen while they complain about their lives and vent their frustration, with many cases escalating to verbal abuse,” a police officer was quoted as saying. “We will refer such calls to other departments so that police can provide timely assistance to people in need of immediate help.”