A recent report revealed that more than 7,000 cases of police protection for victims of stalking crimes were recorded last year. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent report revealed that more than 7,000 cases of police protection for victims of stalking crimes were recorded last year.
According to National Police Agency data presented by National Assembly member Jeon Bong-min, a total of 7,091 safety measures were taken for stalking victims in the past year. On average, this means around 19.4 stalking victims sought police assistance every day.
The collection of statistics on stalking crimes began in October 2021 when the Anti-Stalking Act came into effect. In 2021, there were 1,428 reported cases of stalking, and in the first half of the current year, there were 3,754 cases.
Looking at protection measures for all types of crimes, including stalking, there has been a significant increase over the years. In 2018, there were 9,442 protective measures taken, which surged to 13,686 in 2019, 14,773 in 2020, 24,810 in 2021, and 29,372 last year, marking a more than threefold increase in just five years.
In the first half of the current year, a total of 15,663 protective orders were issued.
The number of cases where individuals who were under police protection reported threats to their lives also saw a steep rise. In 2019, there were 1,338 such cases, which increased to 1,616 in 2020, 7,240 in 2021, and 7,861 last year.
Despite the growing demand for these services, there is still a shortage of dedicated personnel. As of last year, each municipal police agency responsible for managing and supporting the safety measures system had an average of 328 police officers handling these cases, with each officer managing around 89.5 cases.
Notably, there were significant regional variations, with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency handling 135 cases per officer, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency handling 132 cases, and the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency handling 112 cases.
In contrast, the Gangwon National Police Agency was responsible for 46.5 cases per dedicated officer, and the Jeonnam National Police Agency was responsible for 51.5 cases, showing disparities across regions.
Furthermore, the Victim Protection Promotion Committee, established to identify and advocate for policies to protect crime victims, has been virtually inactive.
Some regional police agencies, like the Gyeongbuk National Police Agency, have not held a single meeting since September 2017, and the Daejeon National Police Agency has not convened a meeting since August 2018.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
