'Stalking Punishment Act' Passed by National Assembly…Police "Establishing Strict Response System, Prompt Protection for Victims"

The Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 24th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] In line with the passage of the 'Stalking Punishment Act,' which includes grounds for punishing stalking behavior, the police have begun establishing a response system for related crimes.

On the 26th, the National Police Agency stated in a reference material, "We plan to establish a strict response system for stalking acts and stalking crimes and take the lead in the prompt protection of victims."

The National Assembly passed the 'Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, etc.' (Stalking Punishment Act) at the plenary session of the extraordinary session on the 24th. The Stalking Punishment Act defines stalking as acts of approaching or following the other party or cohabitants/family members without justifiable reason against the other party's will, causing anxiety and fear.

If stalking is carried out continuously and repeatedly, it can be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won. If carrying a weapon, the punishment is increased to imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

The police can, with court approval, impose emergency measures such as a ban on approaching within 100 meters or a ban on approaching the other party through electronic communications to prevent stalking crimes. Violating these measures results in a fine of up to 10 million won.

The police explained that stalking victim cases have occurred indiscriminately, including celebrities such as entertainers and Go players as well as ordinary people, and that about 25% of the victims reported are male.

The National Police Agency expressed expectations, saying, "Considering that 'dating violence,' which has recently become a serious crime, also arises during stalking acts such as demands for meetings, if the Stalking Punishment Act is enforced, virtually all citizens will be able to receive protection and benefits based on this law."

They added, "We will prepare related manuals to enable active law enforcement on the front lines, and combine various currently implemented personal protection policies such as smartwatches and closed-circuit (CC) TVs with protective measures under the Stalking Punishment Act to do our best to establish a faster and more thorough victim protection network."

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