Seoul announces new measures to protect stalking victims

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has launched a unit to support stalking victims, aiming to provide tailored responses, increase protection facilities, and offer mental consultation sessions, legal assistance and medical care.

Two security guards protect a Seoul city official on Wednesday during a demonstration of the metropolitan government's latest measures, including security services for stalking victims in need of protection. [YONHAP]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday announced measures to help protect and assist stalking victims.

The measures include launching the city’s first unit designed to solely support stalking victims.

The organization will work with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency by establishing a joint response system.

The system will immediately share the data of stalking victims with the city's new unit once the victims file a stalking report to the police. Victims will first need to agree to share their information to take part.

The team consists of six experts, including a criminal profiler who will ascertain the thoughts and personalities of the stalker, as such offenders have a high recidivism rate, according to the city government.

The members will discuss different stalking cases and scenarios to provide individual victims with tailored responses.

The metropolitan government will also increase the number of protection facilities for victims in the city from three to five by building one more emergency and long-term residence each.

Those in need will be able to stay at the emergency residency for up to 30 days. They can also move to a long-term residence in the future to be protected for up to a year.

The metropolitan government plans to support mental consultation sessions for the victims and help with the legal process, including lawsuits, as well as medical care fees.

If needed, a therapist will visit the victims at home for counseling sessions.

Security guards will be dispatched for stalking victims.

The victims will be protected by two guards for up to 10 hours a day for as long as a week.

Security service will be offered to victims at high risk of meeting their stalker, and if the police believe the victims need protection.

As many stalkers know where their victims live, the city government will subsidize up to 2 million won ($1,500) of the moving costs of victims.

In July, a 31-year-old man stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death at an apartment building in Namdong District in Incheon, where the victim lived.

The murder took place despite the Incheon District Court issuing a restraining order a month earlier after the victim filed a complaint against him for stalking.

The measures come as Seoul residents remain worried about stalking crimes even a year after the brutal murder of a stalking victim in Sindang Station last year.

Jeon, a former Seoul Metro employee, fatally stabbed his colleague — whom he had been stalking — in a bathroom in Sindang Station on Sept. 14, 2022.

“It has been a year since the shocking stalking and murder took place at Sindang Station, but the number of stalking crimes has not fallen,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said.

“There is nothing more crucial to welfare than safety. The city will establish a dense social security network for Seoul residents to feel safe.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]