"Please Strengthen Punishments" 3,000 Crying Messages in Memory of Sindang Station Tragedy

Comprehensive Analysis of Memorial Notes for the 'Sindang Station Stalking Murder Case'
Many Voices Call for 'Strict Punishment for Stalking' and 'Jeon Joo-hwan Must Be Executed'
Different Interpretations of Stalking Crimes Also Cause Social Conflicts

On the afternoon of the 27th, a memorial message was posted at the entrance of the restroom where the 'Sindang Station Stalking Murder Case' occurred on Seoul Subway Line 2. Behind the notepad, there is a phrase on the entrance sign that reads "A Seoul Where Women Are Happy." However, citizens criticized it as "a lie" using Post-it notes. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Culture Intern Reporter] "If the other person feels anxious, that is 'stalking'."

On the afternoon of the 27th, a teenage female student writing a memorial message at the scene of the 'Sindang Station Stalking Murder Case' said this about 'stalking crimes.' At the scene that day, most of the visitors paying tribute were women in their 20s and 30s, appearing to be of similar age to the female victim.

A woman in her 20s, tearfully raising her voice, said, "I wonder why this case is not seen as misogyny." She criticized, "Nowadays, stalking is not limited to romantic relationships. However, people around us or the older generation seem to think, 'Isn't this something that happens only in romantic relationships?'"

The scene, which soon became a space for mourning and an outlet for anger for the unjustly killed female victim, was filled with memorial messages such as "Such a heartbreaking death" and "Execute Jeon Ju-hwan!" covering the bathroom entrance walls.

Next to the restroom where the incident occurred, memorial visits continue daily. Some messages included a tribute that appeared to be left by a Seoul Metro employee, saying, "Rest in peace, junior colleague. We are sorry." Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

According to a survey conducted by the press on the memorial post-it notes visible to the naked eye that afternoon, about 3,000 memorial notes were posted. Excluding messages that were difficult to confirm due to overlapping notes, 2,307 notes were analyzed, revealing the following content distribution: △ Memorial 41.20%, △ Self-blame and guilt 8%, △ Guarantee of women's rights 14%, △ Strengthening stalking punishment 5.20%, △ Fear that it could happen to me 6.20%, △ Criticism of investigative agencies and Seoul Metro 2.10%, △ Determination and resolve not to suffer again 22.80%.

In particular, phrases calling for the strengthening of stalking laws were written in a very firm tone. Also, although there was a sign at the bathroom entrance saying 'A Seoul where women are happy' and 'Travel(女幸) Bathroom,' a post-it note saying 'Lies' was attached above it. This was interpreted as criticism that there is no city where women are safe.

Summarizing the citizens' memorial messages, alongside mourning for the female victim, there was a strong call to strengthen punishments so that no more stalking crime victims will emerge. There was also intense anger demanding the execution of the murderer Jeon Ju-hwan. Criticism of investigative agencies and Seoul Metro continued as well.

One mourner left a memorial message saying, "Please stop." It appears to be a message urging an end to crimes targeting women, such as stalking murder cases and illegal filming. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

◆ "Isn't this a gender issue?" Misunderstanding stalking crimes... Persistent 'secondary victimization'

However, some voices at the memorial site denied the entire memorial message. A man in his 60s told reporters, "The victim and the perpetrator even lived together for three months." When asked for evidence supporting this claim, the man hurriedly left. Despite following him and repeatedly asking, "What is the basis of your claim?" and "What news did you see?" the man only quickened his pace. This was a clear case of secondary victimization against the victim.

This situation is interpreted as arising from differing perspectives on stalking. Even while the press was analyzing post-it notes at the scene, some citizens said the incident stemmed from a romantic relationship issue. Although they had no evidence, they did not relent in their claims.

On the other hand, other citizens met that day emphasized stalking crimes as "continuously engaging in unwanted behavior toward the other person." A teenage female student said, "This case shows that despite the victim clearly expressing her intentions and requesting personal protection, she was ultimately not properly protected. What is most needed is 'strengthening punishment' and 'improving awareness toward women.'"

Kim, a male office worker in his 30s, pointed out, "Even though the perpetrator is currently on trial for illegal filming that ruined a person's life, the occurrence of this incident shows the weaknesses of the judicial system. I think it is necessary to strengthen the monitoring system for perpetrators." Other citizens also said that Jeon Ju-hwan, who was prosecuted for illegal filming and other charges, harbored resentment against the victim, persistently harassed her, and eventually murdered her.

Regarding this, Min Go-eun, a lawyer from Sae Seoul Law Firm who represented the victim in the Sindang Station case, held a press conference on the 20th at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "Due to the defendant's additional crimes, this case was reported in the media without the victim's consent, and initially, the media coverage was based on completely different facts. Therefore, according to the wishes of the bereaved family, we continued media interviews to correct the facts, but the published articles did not reflect my intentions." She added, "The essence of this case is that the victim suffered stalking by the defendant for two years, which ultimately led to murder. Everything else is secondary."

Meanwhile, the government and the National Assembly are pushing for legal amendments to abolish the provision of conditional prosecution in stalking crimes.

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