Stalking Victims: 65% Targeted by Former Partners

In a troubling revelation, a recent analysis by the Seoul city government has found that 65.1% of stalking perpetrators are former partners. This statistic comes from a study of 387 stalking victims, including a 30-year-old woman, referred to as A, who experienced severe harassment after breaking up with her boyfriend last September. A reported receiving over 1,000 KakaoTalk messages daily and up to 50 phone calls, which began after she decided to end the relationship due to ongoing abuse.

After blocking his number, A was threatened via a 'delivery service' with messages claiming he possessed illegal recordings and would distribute them. Following A's case, the analysis revealed that other stalking offenders included service industry workers (5.4%) and colleagues (4.9%). The majority of victims, 93%, were women, with the highest age groups being those in their 20s (31%), 30s (27%), and 40s (18%).

The most common form of stalking involved digital harassment through KakaoTalk messages and phone calls (34%), followed by waiting outside homes or workplaces (30%) and persistent following (24%). Another victim, a 40-year-old man identified as B, received continuous messages with attached photos, including images of him at work and inside his home.

In some extreme cases, victims faced not only stalking but also physical violence and threats. A 30-year-old woman, referred to as C, moved from her apartment to her parents' house to escape her ex-boyfriend's stalking. However, he tracked her down to her workplace, where he threatened her with a weapon, saying, 'Let’s die together,' before bystanders intervened and called the police. C's ex-boyfriend was recently sentenced to four years in prison for attempted murder and violations of the Stalking Punishment Act.