South Korea Develops App to Alert Stalking Victims with Real-Time Location of Perpetrators

The South Korean Ministry of Justice is preparing to launch a new mobile application that allows stalking victims to see the real-time location of offenders on a map if the stalker wearing an electronic bracelet comes nearby. Previously, the law only provided text message alerts. The initiative aims to enhance victim safety amid rising crime rates.

South Korean authorities are developing a mobile app to help stalking victims track the real-time location of offenders when they are nearby. This app is part of the country's recently approved amendments to electronic tracking laws, announced by the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday.

Stalking has become a major concern in South Korea, especially following several high-profile crimes related to stalking that have made headlines in recent years.

Under the current law, stalking victims receive text alerts when the offender is nearby, but these alerts do not reveal the exact location of the offender, making it difficult for victims to determine escape routes. The Ministry of Justice has identified this as a significant problem.

With the revised law, victims will be allowed to view the offender's location on a map via their smartphones, enabling them to evacuate to safe areas promptly. Authorities will track offenders through wearable electronic devices or EM bracelets.

Additionally, the Ministry of Justice is working to integrate this tracking system with the national emergency hotline so police can deploy protection as needed. This integration is expected to be completed next year.

Critics have expressed concern about the widespread stalking problem in South Korea, seeing it as part of broader violence against women, including issues like hidden camera voyeurism and hostility toward feminist movements.

In 2022, public outrage erupted after a young woman was murdered by a former male colleague who had stalked her for years. Despite her reporting to police, the perpetrator was not detained or given a restraining order because authorities assessed the risk as "low."

South Korea first enacted anti-stalking laws in 2021, with penalties including up to three years in prison and fines up to 30 million won (approximately 653,000 baht). In 2023, the National Assembly amended the laws to reduce obstacles in prosecuting stalkers.

Since the law amendments, stalking reports have sharply increased from 7,600 cases in 2022 to over 13,000 last year, according to data from the Ministry of Justice.

. . .BBC