Conflicts between spouses or romantic partners can escalate into deliberate attacks on family members and others outside the relationship, a study found.
At least 157 victims outside intimate relationships were identified in the study, which examined 80 selected court cases involving attacks committed between 1973 and 2021.
Of them, 144 were killed and 13 survived attacks involving attempted homicide, serious assault, confinement and sexual violence.
In 51 cases, or 63.8 percent, perpetrators attacked both a partner and at least one family member, or targeted relatives to retaliate against a partner. Another 17 cases involved attacks on new romantic partners or people perceived as obstacles to a relationship.
The study, by Kyonggi University professor Gong Jung-sik, was published in the September issue of the Korean Journal of Safety Culture.
It examined attacks on relatives, children, new romantic partners, acquaintances, people who intervened at the scene and strangers. The judgments were collected and reviewed between May and August 2026.
“The findings show that risks to family members and others should also be assessed when separation, blocked contact or the emergence of a perceived romantic rival is followed by blaming others for the situation, searching for targets and preparing an attack,” the study’s abstract said.
On Tuesday, a man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of killing his mother-in-law and abducting his estranged wife. Police said he told investigators he resented his wife over legal proceedings she had initiated against him.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com
