Police apologize, beef up security after leaking stalking victim's address to suspect

Police in Seoul have apologized after an officer leaked a stalking victim’s home address to the suspect in the case, and have installed cameras near the victim's home while stepping up patrols in the area.

A police flag flutters in the wind at the National Police Agency's offices in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, on July 25, 2022. [NEWS1]

Police in Seoul have apologized after an officer leaked a stalking victim’s home address to the suspect in the case.

The Yeomchang patrol division under the Gangseo Police Precinct in western Seoul issued a written apology to the victim, according to police on Thursday.

“We sincerely apologize for the unexpected incident that led to the leak of valuable personal information,” the apology read. “We will work to raise awareness by training our staff and ensuring that similar cases do not occur again.”

The victim had filed a complaint under the antistalking law after receiving abusive text messages and phone calls from a colleague for two weeks.

Police accepted the case on July 26 and issued an emergency measure restricting the suspect’s access to the victim’s residence.

During that process, an officer mistakenly sent a notification containing the victim’s home address to the suspect’s phone.

The victim told Yonhap News Agency that they had moved into the residence only a month ago and could not easily relocate again despite the disclosure of their address.

Police said they apologized to the victim and installed surveillance cameras at the home after realizing the leak. They said they also provided private security and stepped up patrols in the neighborhood to prevent further harm.

“We gave the victim a smart watch and regularly check on their safety during commuting hours,” a police official said.

Gangseo Police Station’s inspection office has opened an internal investigation into the incident. Disciplinary action will follow once the probe is complete.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHO MUN-GYU [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]