This thread was started on my old site on June 27, 2016. This is one of the threads I wanted to continue after closing my old site in July of 2018. For more information about that closure, please visit my
blog post on the subject.The topic of violence against women in Korea has been in the media a lot of late due unfortunately to a spate of such crimes. Like this
thread here which contains a collection of articles that explore the issue of how Korean sex offenders are monitored after release from jail, I would like to offer a similar collections of articles and opinion pieces. I have been saving links for the past couple of months, and I also have a small collection of links to older related articles. And in the process of posting these, I've come across more than a few more.
"Stranger Things" felt like a good idea for a name for my new site, but of course sexual abuse is far from unusual and not always at the "bizarre" end of the spectrum of crimes committed. Having said that, there are certainly some articles below that describe crimes that can be considered strange and downright bizarre.
1986
Wikipedia Page of Kwon In-sukThe news that Kwon had sued regarding her sexual abuse would "rock Korean society for months. It was shocking that a young woman would go public with an accusation that was more likely to damage her own reputation than that of the accused." Traditionally, sexual and physical abuse was considered an "unspeakable experience," but Kwon's public testimony helped reframe the issue of sexual abuse in South Korea by "recasting her experience from the 'shame of the victim' to the 'crime of the perpetrator." The acts of sexual abuse as described by Kwon led to the creation of the KWAU which would influence Korean politics in the 1990s.
July 20: South Korea Disperses Protest of Alleged Police Abuse (LA Times)
2001
Aug. 30: South Korea Posts Sex Offenders List on Net (The Register)
2004
July 8: Diplomat’s Sex Assault Prompts an Apology (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Aug. 25: Male Middle-Rank Managers Biggest Sexual Harassment Offenders (The Chosun Ilbo)
Oct. 10: Protect the victims of Crime (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Oct. 12: Feminist Event Aimed at Making Streets Safer (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Dec. 6: Headless, Legless Body Found on Suwon Hiking Trail (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Dec. 12: Outrage Sparked by Serial Rape Case (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Dec. 13: Korean-Chinese Man Confesses to Suwon Torso Murder (Yonhap News)
2005
July 15: Judge Deals Stern Term for Train Assault (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Oct. 31: Activist Alleges Korea’s Sex Shame2007
Sept.
The Process of Change in the Sexual Attitudes of Sexual Offenders in Korea (Asian Nursing Research)
2008
May 1: Nike Slaps Ban on Gyeonggi Council Members (The Korea Times)
2009
b]July 6:[/b]
Violence Against Women (Jason Lim for The Korea Times)
There are several messages that this judgment sends to victims of domestic violence, all of them devastating: One, domestic violence is a shameful topic that should be kept in the home; two, even if you are beaten, shut up and suffer in silence; three, it's not dignified to reveal that you are a victim of domestic violence; four, you are partly to blame in any case.
Aug. 3: Most Sex Crimes Happen on Subway Line No. 2 (Chosun Ilbo)
Oct. 2: Brutal Rape of 8 Year Old Has Nation Up in Arms (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Oct. 8: Teachers Get Light Punishment Over Sexual Violence (The Korea Times)
Dec. 18: South Korea: Reaction Against Child Sexual Offenders (The Law Library Of Congress)
2010Aug. 20: South Korea: Multiple Legislative Actions Against Sex Crimes (The Law Library of Congress)
Aug. 26: Violent Crimes on Upward Curve (The Korea Times)
2011
June 20: Sexual Assault in Seoul on Rapid Rise (The 3 Wise Monkeys)
Oct. 25: South Korean Man Sentenced in Rape of US Soldier (Stars & Stripes)
Oct. 28: South Korea Toughens Laws Against Sex Crimes (CNS News)
Dec. 19: Is Punishment for Sex Crime Too Lenient? (The Korea Herald)
2012
Jan. 9: From Sheriffs to CCTV, Seoul Targets Perverts on Subway (Chosun Ilbo)
Feb. 2: Workplaces No Exception to Rampant Bullying (The Chosun Ilbo)
April 10: Suwon Suspect a Serial Killer? (Chosun Ilbo)
April 11: Suspect in Suwon may be a Drifting Serial Killer (Korea JoongAng Daily)
May 5: Is Domestic Violence Taken Seriously in Korea? (Kim Hee-sun for The Korea Herald)
May 8: Many Schoolkids Complain of Sexual Harassment (The Chosun Ilbo)
May 9: Soldier Gets 6 Years For Raping South Korean Teen (Stars & Stripes)
May 17: US Forces Korea Soldier Appeals Rape Conviction (Stars & Stripes)
June 27: Taekwondo Academy Director Detained for Rape of Pupils (Korea Bang)
Sept. 3: Drunk Man Kidnaps, Rapes & Leaves Girl with Internal Injuries (Korea Bang)
Oct. 10: Soldier convicted of South Korea rape claims unfair treatment (Stars & Stripes)
2013January 30: Koreans Drive Demand for Child Prostitution in Southeast Asia (The Korea Times)
April 23: Raped & Alone In A Foreign Land (The Korea Herald)
In 2011, 22,034 rapes were reported, according to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Of those, 18,591 cases resulted in arrests with a total of 18,880 offenders being convicted. However, only 12 percent of those found guilty, or 2,289, were sentenced to jail time.
It is impossible to know the true number of victims in Korea, let alone the number of foreign victims, as many who are attacked ― Korean or foreign ― do not report the crime. Based on a 2010 survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, it is believed that the sexual crime reporting rate in Korea is about 10 percent.
May 16: Top Court Recognizes Marital Rape as Crime for First Time (Yonhap News)
June 11: Sexual Harassment Rampant Among Social Leaders (The Korea Herald)
June 14: Korean Law on Rape (Korean Law Guru)
August 2: 2 Out Of 3 Women Feel Unsafe From Sex Crimes (The Korea Herald)
Oct. 1: Practicing Feminism in South Korea: The Women’s Movement Against Sexual Violence (Kyungja Jung - Available from Amazon -
Google Books has Excerpts)
Oct. 25: SK Struggles to Confront Stigma of Sexual Assaults (Jason Strother for The Wall St. Journal)
2014April 4: Father Kills Suspect in Daughter’s Rape (Korea Bang)
April 24: Redefining Rape in SK (Daniel Fielder for The Korea Herald)
July 18: Drunken Navy Captain Sacked for Sexual Assault (The Korea Times)
Aug. 14: Korean Professor Arrested for Groping Woman on Plane (Chosun Ilbo)
Aug. 18: Jeju Prosecutor Held for Flashing (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Nov. 13: Growing Number of Sex Crimes by South Korea’s Power Elite (Hankyoreh)
Dec. 1: Bosses at Seoul Zoo Acted Like Beasts (Korea JoongAng Daily)
2015Jan. 22: Fighting Violence Against Women: Making Seoul a Safer City For Women Project (Seoul Station)
Feb. 16: Professor Accused of Sexually Abusing Student (The Korea Herald)
Feb. 20: Singer & Producer Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Raping a Teenager (All K-Pop)
March 5: Korea Educates Families of Juvenile Sex Offenders (The Korea Herald)
May 21: Sexual Harassment on Campus (The Korea Times)
July 9: Dating Abuse Rampant Yet Hushed in Korea (The Korea Herald)
August 7: Seoul Toughens on School Sex Violence (The Korea Herald)
August 31: Teachers Face Dismissal Over Sexual Abuse Claims (The Korea Times)
August 9: Sex Crimes at Schools Left Unchecked (The Korea Herald)
August 12: Rapist Flees Hospital and Attacks One More Victim (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Sept. 18: Are Crimes Against Women Unstoppable? (Chosun Ilbo)
Sept. 29: Korean Man Brutally Beats Woman But Onlookers Do Nothing (The Korea Observer)
Oct. 2: Professor Blasted for Wanting Students to Work at Daughter's Wedding (The Korea Times)
Oct. 5: High Schooler Arrested Over Alleged Rape of Elementary School Student (The Korea Times)
Oct. 11: The Source of Sexism in SK (Expose)
Oct. 30: Sexism in SK is More Serious Than You Might Think (The Typewriter)
Dec. 2: Medical Student Faces Expulsion for Beating up Girlfriend (The Korea Times)
Dec. 9: Soldier Awarded for Capturing Sex Offender (The Korea Times)
2016Jan. 1: 159 Women Missing in Suwon (The Korea Times)
Jan. 6: Police Want Women to Take Extra Precautions After 159 Women Go Missing in Suwon (ROK Drop)
Jan. 22: Women Still Wary of Reporting Sexual Harassment (Chosun Ilbo)
Feb. 29: Zolpidem Most Frequently Used Date Rape Drug in Korea (The Korea Herald)
March 30: Korea’s Justice System Fails Foreign Victims of Rape (The Korea Herald)
April 1: Korean Police Rebut Australian Woman's Claims About Rape Case (All K-Pop News)
April 3: Incest Victims Fight Back Against Abusers in SK (The Korea Herald)
April 4: S. Korea's Sexual Assault Aftercare has Improved But Challenges Remain (Yonhap News)
April 5: Police's Open Letter to Rape Victim Sparks Fury (The Korea Herald)
Public Battle Over SK Rape Claim (BBC)
April 6: 1 in 10 Women Sexually Harassed at Work (Chosun Ilbo)
April 7: Apologize For Posting Alleged Rape Victim's Records (Yonhap News)
April 17: Korean Police Deny Wrongdoing In Australian Airdre Mattner’s Rape Investigation (Korea FM Podcast with Chance Dorland)
April 20: Teenagers Gang-Rape Middle School Girl (The Korea Herald)
6 South Korean Middle School teens Arrested for Gang Rape of Elementary Student (Koogle)
April 22: Professor Indicted Over Alleged Attempted Rape (The Korea Times)
April 24: Taxi Driver Gets 3 Years for Sexually Assaulting Mentally Disabled Passenger (The Korea Herald)
April 25: K-pop’s Gross Double Standard For Women (David Volodzko for PRI)
Common Misconceptions about Korean Law on Rape (Korean Law Guru)
May 3: Taxi Driver Gets Suspended Sentence For Raping Thai Woman (The Korea Times)
"The justice recognized the sentence of the first trial was made in light of the fact that the victim was deeply traumatized and sexually ashamed by the incident," the judge in the second trial said. "The second trial, however, changed the sentence by suspending it for four years on the basis that the victim had agreed with the criminal not to punish him."
May 6: Mother Convicted of Assisting Rape of Daughter (Korea Times)
May 9: Sex Crime & The South Korean Media (The Korea Herald)
May 16: Some Disturbing Numbers On % of Female Homicide Victims in South Korea (3 Wise Monkeys)
May 17: Korean Law on Rape: Understanding the ‘Lack of Consent’ Requirement (Korean Law Guru)
May 19: Korean Women Respond to Gangnam Murder Case (The Korea Herald)
May 20: Murder Becomes Symbol of Korean Misogyny (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Gangnam Murderer Says He Killed Because Women Have Always Ignored Him (The Hankyoreh)
May 21: Let's Talk About the Toxic Way South Korea Is Handling its Rape Problem (Royce Kurmelovs for Vice)
Don’t Claim That The Gangnam Murder Was Somehow Random (Moon Kang Hyung-joon for The Hankyoreh)
Nearly every one of the female students in their twenties and thirties that I’ve met in the classroom, no matter their frame, has experienced violence at some point for being a woman. It ranges from abusive behavior on buses and subways to attempted rapes in alleyways, from drunken fisticuffs to vengeance from spurned boyfriends. If they survived the day unscathed, it was simply because luck was on their side.
May 23: Korean Women Speak Out On Gender Violence (The Korea Herald)
Members of Right-Wing Groups Trying to Scuttle Commemoration of Murder Victim (The Hankyoreh)
I Am Part of the Problem & I Want to Talk About It (The Korean Foreigner)
Gangnam Murder Spurs Calls for Hate Crime Law (The Korea Herald)
Raped Australian Says South Korea Ignores Rape of Foreign Women (International Business Times)
I Did It Because Women Have Always Ignored Me: The Gangnam Murder & Misogyny In Korea (Bust - Date Unknown?)
May 24: Gender War Intensifies Amid Mourning for Murder Victim (The Korea Herald)
May 25: Date Rape Prevalent Among College Students (The Korea Herald)
Not Random At All (Korea JoongAng Daily)
May 27: Date Rapist Often Repeat Offenders (The Chosun Ilbo)
Country Where Rape of Foreign Women is Swept Under Carpet (News Ltd)
May 31: Pastor Gets 3 Years For Raping Churchgoer (The Korea Herald)