One Year of Stalking Punishment Law... Reports in Gyeongnam Province Increased 4.7 Times

Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Since the enforcement of the Stalking Punishment Act in 2021, stalking crime reports in Gyeongnam Province have increased 4.7 times compared to before the law was enacted.

According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on the 27th, the number of stalking reports was 329 from October 21, 2020, to October 20, 2021, before the law was enforced, and 1,549 from October 21, 2021, to October 20, 2022, after enforcement.

The provincial police agency stated that an average of 4.2 stalking-related 112 emergency calls are received daily, marking a 370.8% increase compared to before the law's enforcement.

During the one year after the law's enforcement, 31 people were arrested on suspicion of violating the Stalking Punishment Act, with 54 emergency measures, 422 provisional measures, and 383 safety measures for crime victims implemented.

It was also reported that this month, a suspect who stalked and assaulted an ex-partner in the province violated provisional measures No. 2 and No. 3, was promptly arrested, and simultaneously had an arrest warrant and provisional measure No. 4 applied for, resulting in detention.

A representative from the provincial police agency emphasized, “We are making various efforts to prevent stalking from escalating into serious crimes.”

According to officials, the provincial police agency assesses risk by reviewing past report histories from the initial report stage, conducts emergency measures such as separating the perpetrator and victim upon dispatch, and makes on-the-spot arrests if there is a risk of recurrence.

If necessary, they request emergency measures, provisional measures, and arrest warrants, focusing on effectively isolating perpetrators by concurrently applying for detention in a holding cell under provisional measure No. 4 and arrest warrants.

They objectively evaluate risk levels, provide safety measures for crime victims such as issuing smartwatches, and continuously conduct training to ensure all related functions can respond comprehensively.

A representative from the provincial police agency stated, “The current Stalking Punishment Act is a semi-complaint offense, allowing perpetrators to commit secondary crimes under the pretext of settlement, so urgent revision is needed. We also expect legislative improvements to upgrade penalties for violations of emergency measures, which currently only result in fines, to criminal punishment.”

They added, “Our police will do their best to protect victims meticulously and thoroughly within the current legal and institutional framework while complying with due process.”

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