South Korea to share real-time location of stalkers with electronic tags, but critics cite lack of fundamental solutions

South Korea is set to enhance its response to stalking and dating violence with new measures, including allowing victims to directly petition courts for restraining orders starting April next year. By December, offenders fitted with electronic monitoring devices will trigger an alarm if they approach victims within 1 kilometer, with their real-time locations automatically shared with the 112 emergency dispatch center.

These comprehensive measures were announced by a joint task force comprising the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and the National Police Agency, following a high-profile stalking murder case in Namyangju in March. The plan addresses four key areas: strengthening laws and systems, improving inter-agency collaboration and proactive response, enhancing victim support, and raising awareness about relationship-based violence.

A significant focus is on bolstering joint responses for offenders under electronic supervision. Previously, the Ministry of Justice managed electronic monitoring while the police handled smartwatches for victims, creating a fragmented system. The new policy ensures automatic sharing of victim information with probation offices when interim protection orders are issued and establishes a system where police and probation officers can jointly respond if an offender approaches a victim. This integrated response system began implementation on August 6.

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Stalking offenders have distorted views of sexuality, wanting to control and possess their victims; it's not a medical or psychological illness.

Furthermore, the real-time linkage between the Ministry of Justice's location tracking system and the National Police Agency's 112 system is expected to be completed by December. When an offender with an electronic tag violates a stalking protection order, such as approaching within 1 km of a victim or tampering with the device, an alarm will sound. This alert will automatically transmit the offender's and victim's locations to the nearest 112 situation room, enabling real-time tracking and dispatch.

However, women's rights groups criticize the government's approach, arguing that focusing on electronic monitoring alone is insufficient and neglects root causes. Yoo Ho-jeong, an activist at the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, stated, "Stalkers have distorted views of sexuality, wanting to control and possess their victims; it's not a medical or psychological illness." She expressed concern that the measures might be superficial, advocating for a more fundamental revision of laws, such as amending the Domestic Violence Punishment Act to cover intimate partner crimes more broadly.

Experts also caution against over-reliance on tracking. Han Min-kyung, a professor at the Police University, noted, "While tracking an offender's movements and informing the victim might seem to enhance safety, the victim could end up living in constant anxiety, receiving notifications every time the offender moves."

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While tracking an offender's movements and informing the victim might seem to enhance safety, the victim could end up living in constant anxiety, receiving notifications every time the offender moves.