Cheering students and loudspeaker announcements have long characterized school sports days in South Korea. Recently, however, noise complaints to the police have increased.
In response to more emergency calls about playground noise, the National Police Agency has instructed regional departments to limit officer dispatches for school sports festival complaints, according to local media reports on Saturday.
This guidance aims to standardize responses nationwide and reduce confusion among frontline officers handling school-related complaints.
The decision responds to increasing criticism that police involvement in school events may discourage schools from holding traditional sports day activities.
Police received 350 playground noise reports last year and dispatched officers in 345 cases, according to official data. These figures cover both school-organized sports days and events by outside groups, such as alumni associations, using school grounds.
In recent months, as criticism increased, many complaints were resolved by phone or through civil procedures rather than on-site responses. Officers were dispatched only for repeated or escalating complaints.
ssh@heraldcorp.com
