Defining the Patterns and Factors of Urban Crime in Korean Cities Based on the Analysis of Social Statistical Data

The high rate of urban crime is a main issue that needs to be dealt with in this high-tech society. With the rapid increase of urban crime, research has mainly focused on topics either on a global or a local scale, such as cities or communities and houses or buildings, without reliable observational data. This study makes the best use of the nationwide surveys carried out by Korean government agencies for the analysis of urban crime patterns and factors in major Korean cities. The aims of this research are threefold: understanding the relationship between urban crime patterns and socio-economic differences in cities, determining the effect of residence types on the urban crime patterns; and uncovering potential influential factors of a crime victim's individual characteristics. The statistical methods used for the analysis of social statistical data are as follows: simple regression, logistic regression, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc test. This research found that the patterns of urban crime rate in cities have a certain tendency toward the cities' socio-economic and geographical differences. The residence type is an influential factor showing a close relation to the crime rate. Personal issues, such as the types of occupation, education, marriage, etc., are directly relevant to victims of crime.