According to the Jeju Provincial Office of Education on March 26, at about 8 p.m. on March 22 a woman approached four children playing in an apartment playground near an elementary school in Jeju City and said, "My head hurts and I can't walk well—please take me home," attempting to lure them.
When the children refused, she shouted insults and drove off in a white car. She was wearing a mask and a hat, carrying a yellow crossbody bag, and wearing a red vest.
One student informed their homeroom teacher on the morning four days after the incident, bringing it to light. The student had seen a TV report the previous day about suspected abduction cases.
The school immediately sent a notice to parents asking them to closely supervise their children during commutes and after after-school activities and requested a police investigation. The school also conducted safety education for students.
The school advised students to say "No" clearly if a stranger asks them to accompany them; to move immediately to crowded areas or nearby management offices, shops, or convenience stores; to shout "Help!" loudly if someone tries to force them into a vehicle; and to keep distance from unfamiliar cars and firmly refuse invitations to get in. Parents were urged to report similar incidents to the police immediately, notify the school, and regularly check communication plans with their children during commute times.
After receiving the report, the Jeju Western Police Station sent officers to the school to investigate and began securing CCTV footage from the area around the scene.
Jeju experienced a similar incident on March 19.
At another elementary school, a woman approached a sixth-grade girl, asked for the school's location, grabbed the girl's arm and tried to pull her along; when the student shouted "Help," the woman got into a car and fled.
On March 6, near an elementary school road in Seogwipo City, a man in a vehicle approached a student saying, "I'll give you a ride," prompting a report of a suspected abduction or kidnapping.
On March 24, police increased patrols around nearby schools and assigned two additional safety officers to the affected school.
The Jeju Provincial Office of Education asked police to coordinate with local community groups to strengthen patrols around elementary schools and sent an official safety notice to schools instructing them to teach students how to prevent and respond to attempts to lure or abduct children.
