Although a Key National Policy, 'Dating Violence Response Law' Remains Dormant Even on International Women's Day

Despite Government’s Commitment to Legalizing Dating Violence Prevention,

Ministry of Justice Bill Has Remained Stalled in the National Assembly for Over a Year

2024 Reports of Dating Violence Up 15% from Previous Year

#. Recently in Busan, an 18-year-old teenager was sentenced to prison for detaining and assaulting his ex-girlfriend for 16 hours. The victim was diagnosed with injuries including a fractured bone near her eye, with a medical prognosis of 10 weeks to recover.

In Gangwon Province, a man in his 50s was sentenced to a prison term for sexually assaulting his former partner, who had previously been the victim of dating violence by him, just two days after being released from prison. The court, considering the victim's appeal for a severe punishment, sentenced him to three years and six months in prison.

Despite daily reports of dating violence cases, related legislation has been stalled in the National Assembly for several years. As International Women’s Day on March 8 approaches, safety measures directly linked to the lives and safety of the public remain neglected. The legalization of dating violence prevention is also one of the key national policy initiatives of the Lee Jaemyung administration.

According to government and National Assembly sources on March 6, at least two bills under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Justice must pass the National Assembly to prevent dating violence and protect victims. The bill under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family treats stalking victims and dating violence victims equally as subjects of protection. Discussion on revising the “Stalking Prevention and Victim Protection Act” (hereinafter referred to as the Stalking Prevention Act) was completed by the Gender Equality and Family Committee in September 2025.

However, the bill under the Ministry of Justice has not even been discussed. Since 2024, several bills containing definitions of dating violence and measures such as restraining orders for victim protection have been introduced to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, but none have been substantively discussed. The amendment to the Stalking Crimes Punishment Act, sponsored one year and four months ago by Kim Hankyu and 27 other members of the Democratic Party of Korea, has never been addressed in the legislative subcommittee. Likewise, the amendment to the Domestic Violence Punishment Act, which seeks to include dating violence within the category of domestic violence and was submitted by Chung Choonsaeng and 22 other members of the Korea Innovation Party, has seen no progress for one year and eight months.

The legalization of dating violence prevention is one of the 123 key national policy initiatives announced by the Lee Jaemyung administration and is considered the top women’s safety policy that must be pursued by both the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Justice. Jeong Hoe-jin, Director of the Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Division at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stated, “For the amendment to the Stalking Prevention Act to take effect, the amendment to the Stalking Punishment Act must be enacted simultaneously. About 15 different bills aimed at addressing dating violence are currently pending in the National Assembly,” adding, “We have already requested cooperation from the Ministry of Justice to expedite legislation.”

Dating violence can escalate into serious crimes such as murder or assault, and because the victims are specific individuals, it is highly likely to occur repeatedly and habitually. However, due to legal shortcomings, there is currently no legal basis for investigative authorities or courts to intervene in dating violence cases. If the behavior does not qualify as stalking or there is no legal marital relationship, authorities are unable to order separation between the perpetrator and the victim. Kim Jeong-hye, Associate Research Fellow at the Korean Women’s Development Institute, said, “Until now, the police have responded to dating violence cases by applying either the Domestic Violence Punishment Act or the Stalking Punishment Act. However, in practice, more effort is spent determining which law to apply rather than proving the criminal act itself, which is a real challenge on the ground.”

The number of dating violence reports has increased every year. According to the National Police Agency, there were 70,790 reports of dating violence in 2022, 77,150 in 2023, and 88,394 in 2024, showing a steady upward trend. In 2024, there were 14,900 arrests related to dating violence; by type, assault and injury accounted for 67% (9,998 cases), unlawful detention and threats for 10% (1,440 cases), and sexual violence for 3.6% (536 cases). According to Korea Women’s Hotline, in 2023 alone, 138 women were killed by male partners with whom they had intimate relationships such as spouses or boyfriends, and 311 survived attempted murder. At least once every 19 hours, a woman is killed or faces the risk of being killed by a male partner in an intimate relationship.

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