The police launched full-scale investigations into a record 1,380 child abuse cases nationwide in 2018, up 21.3 percent from the previous year, an official report showed Thursday, an apparent reflection of increased efforts by police to tackle such cases.

Of the total, 1,095 cases involved physical abuse, followed by 226 cases of sexual abuse, according to the report by the National Police Agency.

The number of children who were victims of abuse also hit a record high, up 19.3 percent from 2017 to 1,394, and that of children who were taken into protective custody climbed 19.1 percent to a record 4,571, it said.