"Why Break Up?" Women Feel 'Anxiety' Over Deadly 'Date Violence'

Number of Dating Violence Reports Increasing Annually
Most Victims Are Women... At Least 88 Women Killed Due to Dating Violence Last Year
Experts Call for "Active Policies"

The number of reported cases of dating violence has been increasing every year. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "If you break up with me, I'll kill you," "Why is your skirt so short?"

Incidents of so-called 'dating violence,' where men in close relationships such as husbands or lovers assault women, are becoming a persistent social problem. In particular, as dating violence escalates beyond physical assault to include sex crimes and murder, calls for stricter punishment are growing louder.

Additionally, some dating violence perpetrators commit crimes against the victim's acquaintances or even their families, increasing public concern. Experts emphasize the necessity of 'gender sensitivity,' which means awareness of gender equality.

On the 3rd, a man in his 50s was arrested by the police on suspicion of wielding a weapon against the family of his ex-girlfriend. The man allegedly attacked three family members?two younger sisters and one sister's husband?with a weapon he had prepared in advance after arguing over the disposal of the ex-girlfriend's house. Police officers who responded to the victims' family's report arrested the man at the scene and are investigating the detailed circumstances of the incident.

Recently, cases of women suffering dating violence from their partners have been increasing. Dating violence includes not only physical violence such as grabbing wrists or hitting but also verbal abuse, demands for dating expenses, checking cell phones, and controlling clothing.

According to data released by the National Police Agency in June, the number of dating violence reports increased from ▲14,136 cases in 2017 ▲18,671 cases in 2018 ▲19,940 cases in 2019. Last year, more than 54 dating violence-related cases were reported daily.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The problem is that dating violence can escalate into serious crimes such as sex crimes or murder. According to the '2019 Anger Gauge - Analysis of Female Murders by Men in Intimate Relationships through Media Reports' released by Korea Women's Hotline in March, at least 88 women were killed last year by men in close relationships such as husbands or lovers. Including attempted murders, the number of female victims is at least 196. This means that on average, one woman faces death or a life-threatening situation by a partner or spouse every 1.8 days.

Perpetrators stated their motives as ▲the victim woman 'demanded divorce or breakup or refused the perpetrator's request for reconciliation or meeting' in 58 cases (29.6%) ▲'in a fit of anger' or 'spur of the moment during a fight' in 58 cases (29.6%) ▲'suspicions about relationships with other men or raising such issues' in 25 cases (12.8%) ▲'feeling disrespected' in 17 cases (8.7%) ▲'refusal of sexual relations (sexual violence)' in 3 cases (1.5%).

Recently, the methods of dating violence have also become more diverse, raising concerns. In February, a teenage boy was arrested for threatening by posting nude photos in front of his ex-girlfriend's house, and in September, a man in his 20s was sentenced to prison after repeatedly hitting his girlfriend's dog with bricks and threatening to distribute sexual videos following her breakup notice.

However, more than half of the victims who experienced dating violence took no significant action after the violence. According to a 2018 survey by the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family involving 2,000 women living in Seoul, only 9.1% reported physical violence to the police.

They cited 'weak punishment of perpetrators' (58.7%) and 'spread of misogynistic atmosphere' (11.9%) as causes of dating violence.

Also, due to the special nature of being lovers, dating violence is often dismissed as a matter of affection between men and women. Among those criminally charged for dating violence from 2016 to 2018, only 1,259 perpetrators were actually detained, accounting for just 4.4% of the total 28,915 individuals.

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result, calls for institutional improvements to prevent dating violence are growing. Under current law, there are no separate punishment provisions for dating violence, so even if dating violence involves murder, rape, confinement, or assault, it is punished under the same standards as other crimes.

A petition posted on the Blue House National Petition Board in July demanding severe punishment for dating violence perpetrators received 212,867 signatures.

In a petition titled 'Strong Punishment for the Gangseo-gu Dating Violence Attempted Murder Case,' the petitioner said, "Does it have to escalate to murder for proper punishment to be enforced?" and "Crimes related to dating violence and illegal filming must no longer be punished lightly." They appealed, "Please strongly punish perpetrators to prevent dating violence victims from occurring."

Experts urge proactive responses to dating violence. Jeong Hyewon, team leader of the Women's Policy Research Team at the Gyeonggi Family and Women Research Institute, said, "In Korean society, dating violence has tended to be treated as a personal issue occurring in intimate relationships. It must first be understood as a social problem and gender-based violence, and active policies against dating violence are necessary. Only when gender sensitivity and a culture that tolerates violence are improved and normalized can dating violence be prevented and stopped."