South Korea sees thousands of sexual crime reports each year, but arrests remain rare, new data reveals. From 2020 to 2024, police booked between 28,000 and 35,000 suspects annually for sexual offenses, according to figures from the National Police Agency shared with lawmaker Chung Choon-saeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party.
These cases cover serious issues like rape, indecent assault, illegal filming with cameras, obscene acts over phone or online, and trespassing into buildings for sexual reasons. In 2020, officers booked 28,135 people. That number climbed to 29,013 in 2021, jumped to 35,656 in 2022, dipped slightly to 34,996 in 2023, and stood at 31,755 last year.
Yet, only a small fraction of these sexual crimes in South Korea lead to formal action. Police sought arrest warrants for just 5.35% to 6.62% of suspects each year. And courts approved even fewer—between 4.02% and 5.1% of total cases.
Stalking crimes paint an especially worrying picture. Bookings for stalking surged from 9,895 in 2022 to 11,520 in 2023 and hit 12,677 last year. Still, arrests hovered around 3% over that time, showing how these cases often slip through the cracks.
Lawmaker Chung called for change. “Investigators should push harder for arrest warrants, and judges need to put victims first when deciding,” he said. He pointed out that stalking and sexual abuse carry a high risk of repeat offenses, making quick action crucial to protect people.
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