Ministry of Gender Equality Silent on 'Gangnam Dating Murder'... "Difficult to Confirm During Investigation"

"Victim Has No History of Counseling at Protection Facility"
Family Counseling, Legal Response, and Other Follow-up Support Available
Silent for 3 Days... Position "Under Review"

Regarding the 'dating murder' incident where a man in his 20s killed his girlfriend who had broken up with him on the rooftop of a high-rise building near Gangnam Station in Seoul, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "It is difficult to ascertain detailed information as the case is under investigation." Although it is the main government body handling dating violence, it has not issued any separate statements about the incident for several days.

On the 9th, an official from the Domestic Violence and Stalking Prevention Division of the Ministry explained that they conducted an investigation related to the victim. The official said, "There was no record of the victim consulting at a sexual violence victim protection facility before her death," and added, "We have not confirmed whether stalking was involved."

The police urgently arrested Mr. A (25) on suspicion of murder around 6:30 p.m. on the 6th at the rooftop of a building near Gangnam Station in Seoul, where he killed his girlfriend. During the police investigation, Mr. A stated that he committed the crime because his girlfriend, who was the same age, said, "Let's break up." The suspect is known to be a medical student at a university in Seoul.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family currently has the Domestic Violence and Stalking Prevention Division under the Bureau of Rights Promotion, responsible for preventing domestic violence and stalking crimes, supporting victims, and improving laws and systems. It also operates an integrated counseling center that provides support for victims of sexual violence, stalking, and dating violence.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the Ministry stated that direct support is difficult since the victim has already passed away. They explained that follow-up support such as psychological counseling and legal assistance for the bereaved family is possible. An official added, "Since the victim is deceased, direct victim support is difficult," and "We plan to contact the victim’s family after some time, as the investigation is ongoing."

Although three days have passed since the incident, the Ministry remains silent without issuing any separate statements. The official said, "We are reviewing whether to release a statement."

Recently, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been refraining from directly responding to misogynistic crimes such as sexual violence. In 2022, during the tenure of former Minister Kim Hyun-sook, the Ministry stated that the murder of a station worker at Sindang Station was "not considered a misogynistic crime." The same year, regarding the sexual violence death case at Inha University, former Minister Kim said, "It is a matter of student safety and sexual violence, not violence against women," which sparked controversy.

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