Arrests for sexual assault South Korea 2013-2021

In 2021, the number of sexual assault arrests in South Korea amounted to around 19 thousand cases, showing a decrease from the previous year. This was a decrease in arrests compared to 2020 but overall, sexual assault arrests have increased significantly in recent years.

Increase in sex crimes in South Korea

Sexual assault refers to physical and psychological assaults that occur without explicit consent of the victim, such as rape, imitative rape, and indecent acts by compulsion. While South Korea scores relatively well in the Asia-Pacific region’s order and security index and current arrest figures show fluctuation, the significant increase in sex crimes appears noteworthy here. Of particular note is the fact that South Korea is suffering from a rapid increase in spycam crimes, the illegal secret filming also known as 'molka'.

Government policies and law enforcement

While many women in South Korea continue to perceive sexual violence as one of the most important issues, the punishment of sex offenders is relatively lenient by international standards. Nearly half of South Koreans think the government's policies in crime prevention are fine, yet the majority still believes that sexual crimes should be punished more severely. The rising number of sexual crimes and the simultaneous increase in awareness in society thus pose a challenge to the police, politics, and justice in South Korea, not only in terms of prevention but also in terms of prosecution.