Number of CCTV cameras in South Korea 2008-2023

The South Korean national and local governments have been installing tens of thousands of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras every year in public places. As of 2023, there were about 1.77 million cameras in operation. This represents a more than elevenfold increase since 2008. Throughout the past years, the number of cameras newly installed each year has exceeded well beyond one hundred thousand. 


Purpose and benefits of CCTV cameras

Out of all these cameras, around half were installed for crime prevention and a further 43 percent for purposes of facility safety and fire prevention. The rest were mainly intended for traffic law enforcement and various related data collection purposes. CCTV cameras are proving to be particularly beneficial in law enforcement, with the police admitting that CCTV records help solve the majority of serious crimes. Thus, the first step in any police investigation now is to obtain these records. In addition, CCTV records assist investigators searching for the cause of accidents.


Should there be additional CCTV cameras?

Due to these benefits, there have been calls for the installation of additional CCTV cameras to eliminate blind spots. However, there are concerns over the possibility that the government will be able to use the cameras, and the data they collect, to wield excessive power over citizens' lives, invading their privacy.