SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Child sex offenses in South Korea posted a double-digit growth for the past two years, police data showed on Tuesday.
The number of sex crimes against children under the age of 13 reached 1,277 in 2018, up 17.9 percent from 1,083 tallied in 2016, according to the police data submitted to independent lawmaker Jeong In-hwa.
The number for sexual and indecent assaults advanced from 1,002 in 2016 to 1,181 in 2018. The offenses of sending inappropriate photos and texts gained from 50 to 72 in the cited period.
By region, the country's southeastern South Gyeongsang province saw the child sex offenses rise at the fastest pace of 55.9 percent from 59 to 92 in the same period.
The southwestern city of Gwangju was the only exception, where the number of sex crimes against children dropped 28.3 percent from 46 in 2016 to 33 two years later.
