"Stalking Punishment Law" Still Has Gaps... National Assembly Speeds Up Discussions

Several Related Bills Proposed but Remain Pending Without Passage
Processing Speed Expected to Increase Following This Incident

At the entrance of the women's restroom at Sindang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, where a female attendant was killed by a coworker who had been stalking her, citizens continue to visit to pay their respects. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Although it has been almost a year since the so-called 'Stalking Punishment Act' was enacted, the shortcomings have become evident due to the 'Sindang Station Stalking Murder' case. Several related bills have been proposed in the National Assembly but remained pending without passage; however, this incident seems to have accelerated the process.

On the 18th, the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee held a plenary meeting at the main building of the National Assembly to discuss the 'Act on Protection and Support for Stalking Victims,' which was introduced by Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Chun-sook on April 19, along with the government's proposal on the matter.

The bill proposed by Rep. Jeong designates the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family as the department responsible for protecting stalking crime victims. It includes provisions for conducting stalking crime prevention and deterrence education at national institutions, as well as supporting victims in areas such as schooling, employment, legal assistance, housing, medical care, livelihood stabilization, and paid leave. In cases requiring emergency rescue, the police are authorized to respond immediately.

The government proposal, submitted to the Gender Equality and Family Committee on April 28, stipulates that the installation and operation of facilities for the protection and support of stalking crime victims are responsibilities of the state and local governments. Notably, it mandates that the Minister of Gender Equality and Family conduct a stalking status survey every three years to serve as basic data for policy formulation to prevent stalking.

The Stalking Victim Protection Act was announced for legislative notice last November. It was created to supplement the 'Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes,' which has been in effect since October last year but was criticized for insufficient victim protection. However, as the bill was not properly discussed in the National Assembly and the gap prolonged, stalking crime victims increased.

There are also bills that could have prevented harm if passed. The amendment to the Stalking Punishment Act, introduced by People Power Party lawmaker Jeon Ju-hye on June 15, includes provisions for attaching electronic location tracking devices as a provisional measure. If a warning sound were to be triggered or a signal sent to the police when the stalker approaches the victim's location, the possibility of preventing harm would increase.

There are also calls within the National Assembly to focus on the 'retaliatory crime' aspect of the Sindang Station case and impose heavier penalties. According to Rep. Jeong Woo-taek's office of the People Power Party, over 1,500 retaliatory crimes have occurred in the past five years. Last year recorded the highest number with 434 cases, followed by 268 in 2018, 294 in 2019, and 298 in 2020. This year, 281 cases occurred up to last month. Rep. Jeong stated regarding the Sindang Station case, "The murder suspect is known to have a high possibility of retaliatory crime, including past stalking of the victim," and added, "Retaliatory crimes are a direct challenge to the rule of law and national security systems and must be strictly punished."

At the plenary meeting, Yong Hye-in, a lawmaker from the Basic Income Party and member of the Gender Equality and Family Committee, said, "I cannot hide my despair regarding the Sindang Station female murder case. There is a great responsibility for the lack of protective measures for the victim and the insufficient discussion." She added, "I hope that members from both ruling and opposition parties will unite their efforts to quickly discuss the bill even if a subcommittee is not formed."

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