At Least 88 Women Killed by Husbands, Lovers, and Other 'Intimate Partners'

Korean Women's Hotline Releases 'Femicide' Statistics
At Least One Woman Killed or Endangered Every 1.8 Days

Highest Rate in 50s at 18.4%
29.6% Due to Divorce, Separation Requests, or Rejection of Reconciliation

"Hundreds of Women Driven to Death Annually
Comprehensive Review of Gender Violence Policies Needed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] At least 88 women were killed last year by men in intimate relationships such as husbands or boyfriends. At least 108 women survived attempted murders and other attacks. Additionally, at least 33 people close to the victims, including their children, parents, and friends, suffered serious injuries or lost their lives.

The Korea Women’s Hotline announced on the 8th the results of an analysis of murder cases reported in the media from January 1 to December 31 of last year, in commemoration of "March 8, International Women’s Day."

According to this analysis, at least one woman was killed or faced the risk of being killed by a man in an intimate relationship such as a husband or boyfriend every 1.8 days. These statistics represent the minimum numbers reported in the media, and the actual number of victims is expected to be much higher when unreported cases are included.

Specifically, the age group of female victims killed by men in intimate relationships was highest among women in their 50s at 18.4%. This was followed by women in their 20s and 40s, both at 13.8%, women in their 30s at 12.8%, women in their 60s at 7.1%, and women in their 70s at 4.1%.

Regarding the motives stated by perpetrators, 29.6% said the victims "requested divorce or breakup or refused the perpetrator’s demands for reconciliation or meetings," 12.8% cited "suspicions about relationships with other men or related issues," 8.7% said "because they were ignored," and 1.5% said "because sexual relations were refused."

Among all victims, 37 had experienced stalking by the perpetrator before the murder. The perpetrators persistently stalked the victims by demanding meetings and reconciliation, which ultimately led to the killings. Nevertheless, some perpetrators claimed their crimes were committed "in a fit of rage" or "accidentally during a fight," resulting in courts applying lesser charges such as assault causing death or negligent homicide instead of murder.

The Korea Women’s Hotline stated, "While the state neglects resolving the issues of violence against women and femicide occurring in intimate relationships, hundreds of women are driven to death every year." They added, "Important legislation directly related to women’s right to survival, such as amendments to the Domestic Violence Punishment Act’s purpose clause and the enactment of the Stalking Punishment Act, has been repeatedly proposed and discarded in the National Assembly for decades without proper discussion, and it is unlikely to pass in the current 20th National Assembly." They continued, "The state must comprehensively interpret the characteristics of femicide and review and completely reform all policies related to violence against women. We hope this general election will confirm that guaranteeing the survival rights of citizens is the most fundamental duty of the state."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.