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Overview
Health
Being
Safe in Seoul
A
few words about crime in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul is like any
other major city. With a population of about 10.3 million people
and slowly declining due to Seoul's high cost of living, crime
is not hard to find if you look for it.
Seoul is a
very dangerous city with respect to civil unrest. Riots and protests
break out all the time. On some corners, you will see busses packed
full of riot police are parked on almost every corner. You could
easily see a few thousand riot police in a 2 block area at nearly
any given time day or night, weekends and holidays. Seoul's crime,
however, is less than the average American city, but more than
a Japanese city.
Police
112, 313-0845, 731-6231
(Auto traces and locates place of call.)
Fire
Station 119
EMERGENCY
SITUATIONS
In
South Korea, it is quite common for sudden heavy rain to blast
in and paralyze traffic, cause floods, or serious damage during
the rainy season. If you find yourself isolated due to heavy rain
while traveling, you can call 119 or ask for help by using emergency
telephones installed on the roadside. Expect a wait if the storm
is bad. Remain calm, patient, and keep your windshield wipers,
headlights, and hazard lights on. Frequently listen to the weather
forecast and avoid traveling to unfrequented mountainous regions
during the rainy season. South Korea is no joke when it comes
to bad weather and dangerous mountain driving conditions. Use
common sense, plan ahead, and stay safe.
IN THE
EVENT OF A FLOOD
Climb down from mountains as soon as possible and evacuate low
areas. Do not cross valleys because of the possibility of strong
currents. If you need help, call 119 promptly. Take shelter and
let your location be known by hanging up pieces of cloth or clothing
to enable rescue teams to locate you. Do anything to get the attention
of those coming to your aid but use common sense. If it is very
dry, control your fire if you need one for heat and signaling.
Keep up your physical strength and body temperature as best you
can, and control your emergency rations in case you are not rescued
quickly.
ACTS OF
WAR AND TERRORISM
Let's
face it, relations between South Korea and North Korea for the
time being are not great. Conflict is at least possible. If you
have any doubts about this take a trip to the DMZ. Keep your eye
on AFN (American Forces Network) TV channel. Listen to the radio,
check out CNN.com on the Internet, and pay close attention to
open source information such as people talking in malls, restaurants,
etc. Avoid protests, demonstrations, foreign embassies, and military
or government facilities. Stay clear of large glass window areas
and use caution around American owned places of business. Exercise
common sense, control, and overall increased awareness. Own the
area in which you stand, remain alert, and be prepared to take
cover or action. Events after 11 Sept 2001 demand that no matter
where you are visiting that some increased level of common sense
concerning safety must be implemented. If you are uncomfortable
with a situation or have a gut feeling that something is wrong,
it most likely is.
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