South Korea smartwatches fail to prevent 27 relationship-based murders

Data from the Korean National Police Agency reveals that 27 cases of murder and attempted murder occurred between 2022 and mid-2025 involving victims who had been issued protective smartwatches. The incidents included 17 murders and 10 attempted murders, primarily driven by domestic violence, stalking, and dating violence.

Despite the increase in smartwatch distributions—rising from 14,208 units in 2022 to 21,974 in 2025—the effectiveness of the measure has been questioned. In several high-profile cases, victims were already under multiple protection protocols, including smartwatch monitoring, 112 emergency system registration, and customized patrols, yet were still killed by perpetrators.

Critics and lawmakers have pointed to structural flaws in the device, such as the requirement for victims to manually trigger alerts and a battery life that lasts only up to three days, placing the management burden on the victim. Additionally, legal hurdles have hindered protection; in some instances, prosecutors declined to request arrest warrants, or courts rejected them in favor of non-detention investigations.

In response, the police are considering strengthening sanctions for violating restraining orders and isolation measures for domestic violence offenders to match the stricter standards applied to stalking crimes.