Emergency 112 calls to the police on fights or violence have sharply increased amid recent high temperatures.

The number of cases reported through 112 calls to the Gyeonggi Southern District Police Agency has continued to rise from about 291,000 in May to about 300,000 in June and 306,000 in July. The numbers are over 30 percent higher compared to January and February.

About 22 percent of calls were reports of fights or violence concerning drunk people. 

On July 22, two senior citizens, in their 60s and 70s, got into a fight while drinking together at a house in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, around midnight, and were booked for assault.

On July 19, a drunk person in his 40s was booked after slapping a colleague who offered to take him home on a street in Suwon.

“112 reports tend to increase in the summer,” a police official said.

“We see over 300,000 reports in July, a much higher number compared to what we see in winter.”

Kwak Dae-kyung, professor at Dongguk University’s College of Police and Criminal Justice, said that with increased outdoor activities during the summer, people are more likely to get into public fights, and that people tend to be more sensitive in high temperatures.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)