Police Chief Orders Nationwide Command to "Enhance Victim Protection Measures" (Comprehensive)

Emergency Measures Meeting at the National Leadership Workshop

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, held an emergency meeting on women's safety at the national leadership workshop held on the 16th at the Police Human Resources Development Institute in Asan, Chungnam, discussing police response measures related to the protection of crime victims such as stalking. / Photo by National Police Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, on the 16th ordered police leadership nationwide to "further enhance the police response system, including victim protection," in relation to the Sindang Station clerk murder case.

At an emergency meeting held during the 'National Police Leadership Workshop' at the Police Human Resources Development Institute in Asan, Chungnam, Commissioner Yoon urged, "Prepare fundamental improvement measures through cooperation with related agencies." About 650 people attended the workshop, including Commissioner Yoon, chiefs of police from cities and provinces nationwide, and police station chiefs. Kim Kwang-ho, Chief of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Park Jeong-bo, Deputy Chief of Investigation at Seoul Police Agency, and Kim Seong-jong, Head of Investigation Department at Seoul Police Agency, did not attend due to their involvement in the investigation of the Sindang Station clerk murder case.

Attendees reportedly focused on discussing improvements in police response related to stalking and victim protection in connection with the clerk murder incident at Sindang Station. Commissioner Yoon instructed, "Closely examine this case and actively utilize provisional measures, including detention under Article 4 of the current law." He also stated, "We will review deficiencies in the currently enforced 'Stalking Punishment Act' to enable frontline officers to respond actively, and strive to amend related laws to upgrade penalties from fines to criminal punishment for failure to comply with emergency protective measures."

The National Police Agency plans to review the stalking report response system and victim protection measures and discuss various institutional improvements to protect socially vulnerable groups. Commissioner Yoon emphasized, "Please deeply consider ways to concretize the main proposals discussed at the workshop into policies," and urged, "Based on the discussions, police leadership should take the lead in realizing a 'competent and confident police force, a safe community trusted by the public.'"

Commissioner Yoon also visited the Seoul Jungbu Police Station, which is investigating the Sindang Station clerk murder case, the day before and stated, "We will do our best to identify institutional problems and prepare improvement measures related to victim protection." He ordered thorough and strict investigations to staff, emphasizing, "It is time for not only the police but also related agencies to put their heads together and pool wisdom to find fundamental solutions for victim protection."

A, who is accused of killing a female colleague in her 20s at the women's restroom of Sindang Station on Seoul Subway Line 2, is entering the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th to undergo a pre-arrest detention hearing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Previously, after the Kim Tae-hyun and Lee Seok-jun cases, where women under personal protection or their families were murdered, the police revised several on-site response systems to protect stalking victims. Improvements included registration in the Personal Protection 112 System, emergency protective measures, provisional measures, issuance of smartwatches, and coordinated patrols. After the Kim Byung-chan case last year, a task force (TF) was operated to strengthen on-site response capabilities, establishing a detailed response strategy by classifying victim risk levels into three stages and implementing safety measures accordingly.

However, voices suggest that the Sindang Station clerk murder case reveals the limitations of these improvements. According to the police, the victim in this case was registered in the Personal Protection 112 System for one month starting October 8 last year. This was from the day after the victim filed a complaint against the perpetrator, A, on October 7 for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (illegal filming using a camera, threats using recorded materials). The police monitored the risk level during this period but found no particular issues, and the victim did not wish to extend the registration period, so safety measures were lifted in early November.

The police also did not take additional measures when the victim filed another complaint in January this year against A for violating the Stalking Punishment Act. Regarding this, the police stated, "If the victim does not want safety measures, the police cannot enforce them," and "We can only recommend measures if the risk level is high." Ultimately, there was no institutional mechanism to protect the victim for 10 months until A committed the murder.

Experts point out that while these institutional mechanisms are designed to protect the victim, there are virtually no sanctions that can be imposed on the perpetrator. Kim Do-woo, professor of Police Science at Gyeongnam National University, said, "During the police investigation stage, the principle of presumption of innocence is followed too strictly, so there is no physical sanction method to make potential offenders aware of the seriousness," adding, "To prevent stalking retaliation crimes in advance, it is necessary to revise laws and systems to allow police to intervene proactively from a preventive perspective."

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