One in five murders happened after prior stalking or partner violence
Police data showed that nearly 20 percent of murders since 2023 were preceded by stalking, domestic violence, dating violence or sexual violence by the same offender.
The Korean national flag and the flag for the National Police Agency are seen in western Seoul on Oct. 2.NEWS1
About one in five murders in Korea since 2023 was preceded by domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual violence committed by the same perpetrator, police data show.
Of the 2,760 murders from 2023 through September this year, 543, or 19.7 percent, followed earlier “relationship crimes” by the same offender, according to data the National Police Agency submitted to Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the Democratic Party on Monday.
The share was 19.3 percent in 2023, with 147 of 764 murders, and 20.1 percent in 2024, with 155 of 769. The figure rose to 20.9 percent last year, with 140 of 669. Through September this year, 101 of 558 murders, or 18.2 percent, followed such crimes.
Killings after stalking reports have continued in recent weeks. In Jeju on Oct. 12, a man killed a woman who had reported stalking and sexual violence to police. In Daejeon on Saturday, a man killed a woman who had reported stalking to police, and police arrested him.
Kim plans to propose a revision to the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes that would widen the definition of stalking, so such crimes can be stopped earlier.
The core of the bill is adding “domination and control in a relationship” to the types of stalking. Forcing someone to start, maintain or resume a relationship, installing location-tracking devices or programs and exercising digital control through information networks would all be newly covered.
Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the Democratic Party, who obtained the police data on murders preceded by relationship crimes, asks questions during the Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s parliamentary audit on government bodies at the Daegu High Court in Suseong District, Daegu, on Oct. 20.NEWS1
Threats using private information; threats to a person’s life, body or property; threats to pets; and cutting a person off from family and friends would also count as stalking.
If the revision takes effect, police and related agencies could step in earlier against persistent domination or control of a partner, even when no physical harm such as assault or injury has occurred.
The current law does not cover the many forms stalking takes, which delays protection for victims, Kim said. Protective measures must kick in at the earliest stages of violence to stop violent crimes from recurring, Kim added.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
