Women Are in Danger... Will the Political Sphere Respond to Consecutive Stalking and Lenient Punishments?

2019 Stalking Reports Reach 5,468 Cases
Significantly Up from 2,772 in 2018

Stalking Crimes Increase but Punishments Remain Lenient
Measures to Address Issue Stalled

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Stalking crimes targeting women and persistently harassing them are occurring one after another. However, criticisms have been raised about the low level of punishment, and the political sphere has begun to prepare measures to define stalking crimes and impose strong penalties.

According to the police on the 14th, the Iksan Police Station in Jeonbuk is investigating A (28), who habitually threatened musical actress and singer Bae Da-hae without detention. Earlier, the Seongdong Police Station in Seoul identified A as a suspect and transferred the case to the Iksan Police Station, where A resides, last month.

A is suspected of visiting Bae’s performance venue multiple times last year to attempt contact and posting malicious comments online. In September, Bae filed a complaint with the Seongdong Police Station in the form of an anonymous accusation on five charges including habitual threats, violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), and insult. Subsequently, the police conducted an investigation and identified A. It is known that A admitted to some of the charges. Along with the criminal complaint, Bae also filed a civil lawsuit seeking 50 million won in damages.

Bae wrote on her social network service (SNS), "Recently, even while performing in musicals and plays, he constantly came to find me, attempted contact, habitually threatened me, and even found out the accommodations at provincial performance venues and came there. While gathering evidence with my lawyer and requesting personal protection and reporting, I realized that there were no special measures taken against the stalker, which made me despair many times."

In Jeonju, Jeonbuk, a man in his 20s, B, was arrested by the police on suspicion of detonating a homemade explosive device at the house of a woman he was stalking. B is suspected of detonating the explosive device he made himself on the stairs of an apartment in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, around 8 p.m. on the 17th of last month. The explosive detonated in B’s hand, and he received treatment at a hospital.

Stalking crimes are increasing. According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Lee Eun-ju, a member of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee from the Justice Party, the number of reported stalking crimes last year was 5,468, a significant increase from 2,772 in 2018. The number of reports from January to July this year also reached 2,756.

However, punishments remain lenient. Stalking crimes are regulated under the Minor Offenses Act and are punishable by a fine of up to 100,000 won, detention, or a surcharge. However, most cases result in fines around 80,000 won. Also, the ratio of punishments to reports was 19.62% in 2018, 10.6% in 2019, and 10.8% as of July 2020.

Although calls for stronger punishment for stalking crimes have been consistently raised, measures have been sluggish. Bills related to punishing stalking crimes were first proposed in the 15th National Assembly in 1999 and have been proposed 14 times up to the 20th National Assembly but have not passed the National Assembly.

Late in the game, the political sphere is pushing for the enactment of a stalking punishment law. In the 21st National Assembly, the People Power Party’s Special Committee on Sexual Violence Countermeasures proposed the stalking punishment law as their first bill. The bill aims to clearly define acts constituting stalking crimes and strengthen punishments, as well as establish protective measures for victims, including prevention of secondary damage. Han Jeong-ae, the Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party, also announced at the party’s floor strategy meeting on the 10th that the stalking crime punishment law would be processed within the regular session of the National Assembly. The Policy Committee Chair explained, "Our party’s members Nam In-sook and Jeong Chun-sook have submitted a bill that clearly defines stalking crimes and strengthens punishments," adding, "Currently, most stalking crimes are punished as minor offenses of continuous harassment, ending with the imposition of fines."

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