[Interview] "We Will Ensure Female Crime Victims Do Not Cry Twice"

<Jo Joo-eun, the Police Agency's 'First' Female Safety Planning Officer>

Police stations are the first place victims turn to
Ensuring thorough prevention of secondary harm

Police in a period of great change with the introduction of autonomous police
Urgent need to establish women's safety systems, infrastructure, and budgets

"Legislation such as the Stalking Punishment Act and the Dating Violence Prevention Act must be enacted"

Jo Joo-eun, Director of Women's Safety Planning, National Police Agency.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] "The first institution that female crime victims turn to is the police station. We must focus the police's capabilities to ensure they do not suffer twice."

Jo Joo-eun (52), who was appointed as the first Female Safety Planning Officer at the National Police Agency on December 24 last year, has been extremely busy recently. She is leading the protection of victims and prevention of secondary harm as the head of the Victim Protection Team at the National Police Agency's 'Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters,' established in response to the 'Telegram Nth Room' incident. She is also dedicating efforts to formulating policies to eradicate crimes against women, including establishing the National Police Agency's first 'Comprehensive Women's Safety Security Measures' this year.

Since her appointment, Jo has been particularly focused on defining the police's role in preventing secondary harm. This is especially emphasized in ongoing digital sex crime investigations. Jo stated, "Police stations are the first places women victims of crime visit," adding, "Telling victims things like 'Reporting won't help,' 'We can't catch the perpetrator,' or 'Come back when you have more evidence' only causes them to suffer twice." To prevent this, the National Police Agency has compiled cases where improper responses led to secondary harm into internal training materials distributed to frontline officers. Additionally, a new secondary harm prevention education program has been established at the Police Human Resources Development Institute for frontline police officers.

At the plaque unveiling ceremony for the "Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters" held on March 25 at the Northern Building of the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Police Commissioner Min Gap-ryong and other attendees are unveiling the plaque. From the left: Jo Joo-eun, Director of Women's Safety Planning, Nam Gu-jun, Director of Cyber Safety Bureau, Commissioner Min, Choi Seung-ryeol, Investigation Review Officer. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

Jo predicts that this year will be a significant 'turning point' for the police. The introduction of the autonomous police system signals a paradigm shift in women's security policies. She said, "Issues like domestic violence, prostitution, and sexual violence require role-sharing with autonomous police," adding, "We are at a stage where we need to prepare related laws and systems to build infrastructure for women's safety." Specifically, she pointed to the Stalking Punishment Act and the Dating Violence Prevention Act, which are currently stalled in the National Assembly. Jo explained, "Until now, the police have responded after crimes occurred, but now we need to shift to a proactive approach that predicts, prevents, and protects victims," and "We are exploring legislative measures, including related research, to establish a legal basis."

Coordinating the various women's security policies scattered across different police functions and enhancing expertise is also Jo's task. Securing budgets to build victim protection infrastructure is equally important. The responsibility on Jo's shoulders, as the head overseeing the police's women's safety policies, is considerable. She emphasized, "The police's human resources for women's security are excellent. They are specialized and ready to act," but added, "Budgets must be secured to support women's safety, such as for illegal filming detection devices and voice recognition victim statement recording machines." She continued, "During this transitional period for the police, I will exert leadership to build infrastructure that guarantees women's safety through legislation, manpower, budgets, and both internal and external cooperation."

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