South Korean Minister supports new laws for intimate partner violence

During a National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the 28th, Minister Won Min-kyung expressed support for comprehensive legislation to address intimate partner violence. The Minister noted the need for new laws to bridge gaps between existing statutes, such as the differences in electronic monitoring provisions between the Stalking Punishment Act and the Domestic Violence Punishment Act.

Lawmakers highlighted the severity of the issue, citing statistics where a person is killed or nearly killed by an intimate partner every 22.5 hours. Discussions also covered the potential abolition of the ‘offense punishable against the victim's will’ clause to prevent perpetrators from weakening police protection by seeking the victim's non-punishment request.

Additionally, the audit addressed concerns regarding Google Korea. The company’s president apologized for the unauthorized disclosure of personal information belonging to digital sex crime victims. Lawmakers criticized Google for its complex reporting procedures and its failure to block illegal adult sites that domestic platforms like Naver successfully restrict. Other topics included the lack of infrastructure for juvenile offenders and the need for better protection measures regarding abortion medication for minors.