In a troubling trend over the last three years, 14 women in South Korea were murdered by ex-partners or spouses, highlighting a severe failure in police protection measures designed to prevent such tragedies.
Most of these cases involved individuals whom the victims had previously dated, with a total of six incidents linked to former romantic partners.
An investigation by the Hankyoreh on Monday, utilizing data from the National Police Agency obtained through Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-hee’s office, revealed that from 2022 to July 2025, these 14 deaths resulted from domestic violence even though police safeguards were in place.
Breaking down the cases: Six victims were killed by former partners, three were attacked by husbands, two by common-law partners, another two by ex-spouses, and one was targeted by a former coworker.
All of these tragic cases saw women as the victims.
The intended safeguard system for crime victims is supposed to provide tailored protections, especially for those who may face retaliation after reporting crimes. These safety measures typically include increased police patrols around a victim’s home, temporary housing arrangements, bodyguard services, and loaned smartwatches for tracking purposes.
The occurrence of these murders, despite such protective measures, underscores significant issues in the system. This situation has sparked calls for more robust and effective strategies to combat intimate partner violence. These proposals often emphasize not only detaining suspects but also utilizing electronic monitoring devices.
Shipping these punishments presents unique challenges, specifically where violence doesn’t coincide with stalking. Temporary detention measures are limited to acts of stalking and domestic abuse under two specific laws.
Regulations for former and current spouses as well as common-law partners do exist, but intimate partner violence that lacks a stalking component does not have any particular legal oversight.
“There is an immediate need to revise our laws to ensure better protections for victims of violence at the hands of romantic partners. This includes actively employing methods like electronic monitoring for perpetrators to keep them distanced from victims, along with a victim protection order system that victims can initiate themselves,” emphasized Kim Nam-hee.
A legislative push against intimate partner violence began early as the 19th National Assembly but ultimately failed to convert into law. Recent initiatives have emerged in the 22nd National Assembly aimed at addressing these critical issues.
By Kim Hyo-sil, staff reporter
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