(Herald DB)
(Herald DB)

Several victims of murders and attempted murders that occurred in South Korea this year were also subject to domestic abuse, dating violence, stalking or sexual violence, new data shows, suggesting potential missed opportunities to protect the victims.

The Korean National Police Agency on Monday revealed the results of its research on 388 murders and attempted murders that took place between January and July. Of these cases, 66 victims had been subjected to "relationship violence," and four were victims of sex crimes.

Thirty-nine cases were domestic violence, 18 were dating violence, and stalking accounted for nine.

Police explained that many victims of relationship violence tend to be reluctant to report such crimes to authorities. It was found that in murder and attempted murder cases with a previous history of relationship or sexual violence, 57.1 percent of the suspects either had no criminal record or had been convicted just once.

In 30 cases where the suspect had more than one prior criminal record, police implemented protective measures. Of these, 23 involved restraining orders, physical detention, or the use of electronic tracking devices on the suspect.

However, police protection was proven to be ineffective in several cases, including that of a 52-year-old woman who was murdered on June 10 by her former boyfriend, who had stalked her.

A restraining order had been issued against the 48-year-old suspect, Yun Jeong-woo. A surveillance camera was installed in front of the victim’s home, and she was given a smartwatch to quickly alert police in case of danger. Despite these measures, the suspect climbed a gas pipe to reach her sixth-floor apartment and killed the victim.

The KNPA said there needs to be a stronger response in the early stages of relationship violence, along with law revision to impose stronger punishment on revenge crimes committed against one's former or current partner.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com