The government plans to increase the number of police officers in charge of overseeing sex offenders prone to recidivism and dealing with emergency hotline by more than 1,000 in the wake of a series of violent sex crimes in recent weeks, the home affairs ministry said Friday.

According to the plan devised by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, up to 700 additional police officers will be mobilized to oversee former convicts who are prone to repeat violent crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and arson. Some 400 personnel will also be employed for the country’s emergency 112 call centers.

If finalized, the envisioned plan marks the first time in five years, under the current Lee government, that the country will have increased its number of police officers. South Korea has a total of 101,349 police officers, meaning one officer for every 501 citizens, government data showed.

The ministry said it is now in consultation with the agencies concerned and intends to finalize the plan “as soon as possible.”

Currently, some 20,000 former convicts with histories of committing sex offenses, along with some 16,900 others convicted for other types of violent crimes, are on the government watch list. (Yonhap News)