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A Safer Busan Through Citizens’ Vigilance: Busan Metropolitan City Recognizes 185 Outstanding Safety Reporting Contributors

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that it has awarded incentive payments to 185 individuals selected for their outstanding performance under the 2026 First Half Safety Reporting Incentive Program.

Introduced in 2018, the Safety Reporting Incentive Program encourages citizens to proactively identify and report potential hazards and signs of disasters in everyday life. The program recognizes contributions in two categories: Outstanding Safety Report Cases and Outstanding Reporting Activities.

This round of awards evaluated 482,117 reports submitted through the Safety e-Report platform between November 2025 and April 2026. A total of 14 recipients were selected for Outstanding Safety Report Cases and 172 for Outstanding Reporting Activities. After excluding one individual selected in both categories, 185 recipients received incentive awards.

The highest-rated safety report of the first half of the year involved the risk of a pedestrian light collapsing on the boardwalk at Millak Waterfront Park in Suyeong-gu. The report was highly commended for helping prevent a potential accident at a location frequently exposed to strong winds and heavy pedestrian traffic through prompt and proactive reporting.

Another outstanding case involved a report of vines entangled around a utility pole beside a middle and high school in Dongnae-gu. The reporter was recognized not only for preventing a potential accident near a school and pedestrian route but also for demonstrating exceptional safety awareness by remaining at the site until corrective measures had been completed.

An outstanding proposal recognized under the program highlighted that deteriorated anti-skid pavement on a steep roadway could actually become more slippery during rainfall. Although red anti-skid coatings generally improve tire grip and enhance driver visibility in hazardous sections, their friction performance may decline as the coating ages or during wet weather. In response, Saha-gu removed the deteriorated surface and carried out road grooving work to improve drainage and increase skid resistance.

Other outstanding reports included the removal of an aging sign at risk of falling in front of an elementary school in Saha-gu, the removal of illegally stored objects obstructing drivers’ visibility in Jung-gu, the installation of safety fencing along a walkway with a risk of falls in Nam-gu, and measures to prevent road icing caused by water leakage in Geumjeong-gu and Busanjin-gu. These reports were recognized for preventing incidents that could have resulted in accidents.

In particular, the 172 recipients recognized for Outstanding Reporting Activities submitted an average of 71 reports during the evaluation period, equivalent to approximately 12 reports per month, demonstrating their active participation.

Notably, the most active participant reported as many as 1,220 safety hazards during the first half of the year alone, more than 17 times the average number of reports submitted by recipients in the Outstanding Reporting Activities category.

To further encourage active participation, Busan Metropolitan City is considering presenting a Commendation for Distinguished Service in Safety Reporting after performance results for the entire 2026 year have been finalized.

The city expressed its appreciation by providing incentive payments to all 185 recipients and plans to widely promote the outstanding cases to encourage even greater public participation in safety reporting.

The number of reports submitted during the first half of this year increased by approximately 16 percent, or about 67,000 reports, compared with the same period last year, indicating growing citizen participation. Since the first half of last year, Busan Metropolitan City has expanded the number of incentive recipients by more than threefold in response to citizens’ strong support and to accelerate the spread of a culture of safety. Approximately 400 people are recognized each year, and the city plans to maintain this expanded program.

Any citizen can submit safety reports through the Safety e-Report mobile application or website. Outstanding cases will also be promoted through the city’s official safety-focused social media channels and the “Safety Hi-so” platform to encourage even more citizens to take an interest in safety reporting.

Lee Byung-seok, Assistant Mayor of Citizen Safety Office, said, “The remarkable total of 482,000 reports demonstrates that Busan’s citizens are true partners in building a safer city together. We will continue working to further activate safety reporting so that more serious accidents can be prevented.”