A girlfriend murder suspect leaves the Seoul Geumcheon Police Station en route to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office on June 1, 2023. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 1 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent series of violent crimes against ex-girlfriends is causing unrest and fear among the female population in South Korea.
Last Friday, in Seoul’s Geumcheon District, a 47-year-old woman was murdered by a 33-year-old man after she asked for a breakup.
The murder was an act of retribution and occurred just one hour after the man had been interrogated by the police for assaulting his girlfriend at her home.
The next day, near Seoul’s Hapjeong Station, a 31-year-old man was arrested for strangling his girlfriend and forcing her into his car following their breakup.
The man had previously been investigated by the police on allegations of stalking and assault.
And on Sunday in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, a 30-year-old man was found in a serious condition with self-inflicted wounds after strangling his girlfriend to death.
“Women, especially those who are young and new to society, may become easy targets since many believe that they are less likely to report being stalked or assaulted due to fear of blackmail,” said Kim, a 29-year-old office worker.
Women constantly fear that even after a breakup, their ex-boyfriends might return to harass them.
In 2021, there were 692 reported murders or attempted murders, with 9.3 percent occurring within relationships, according to data from the Supreme Prosecutors Office.
The National Police Agency also reported 57,297 cases of “dating violence” that year, triple the number from the previous year.
The number of arrests following allegations of dating violence increased from 8,367 in 2016 to 10,554 in 2021 and further to 12,841 last year.
“News reports on kidnapping and murder highlight the inadequacy of enforcement authorities in preventing such crimes, intensifying fear among women,” said Kim Su-jeong, a bureau head at the Korea Women’s Hot Line, a non-profit women’s rights activist group.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
