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Evening Safety Service for Women Proves Popular in Seoul

October 8, 2013
495 people were hired back on May 27, to help women in Seoul walk home safely. (Yonhap)

495 people were hired back on May 27 to help women in Seoul walk home safely. (Yonhap)

A nighttime escort program for women is gaining popularity in Seoul, as more than 11,000 people have used the service over the past four months.

According to the city, over 1,900 women and high school girls have used the anti-sex-crime service in last week of September, bringing up the daily average to 380.

To use the service, one simply has to call 120, which is the number for the Dasan Call Center, 30 minutes prior to arrival at a bus or subway station near the destination.

The city, in an effort to create jobs, hired 495 people to work as ‘scouts’ to accompany women all the way to their home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. upon their request. Seven out of every 10 helpers are women and half are in their 40s and 50s.

The safe-return-home program is available in 15 district offices in Seoul and likely to expand.