The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday that it will install more surveillance cameras in all of Seoul’s school zones for the security of young students and prevention of crime.

As of March, there are a total of 3,167 surveillance cameras installed in 1,659, or 97.3 percent, of Seoul’s school zones.

School zones began to be designated in 1995. They are areas within a radius of 300 meters of elementary schools or day care centers, according to road traffic laws.

The city vowed to install 151 more surveillance cameras by the end of this year, to achieve an installation rate of 100 percent in Seoul’s school zones. This includes 74 cameras that will be additionally installed in areas where extra attention is required, following residents’ requests.

In response to some residents who said that installing surveillance cameras invades their privacy, the city has decided to inform residents a month prior to installation, as well as to hold monthly public hearings.

“We are going to continue working on ensuring safety in school zones, and also build more speed bumps and anti-slip mats to prevent car accidents in the area,” said an official from the city’s pedestrian and bicycle division.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)