Jeju Smile Center Opens... Choo Emphasizes "Focus on Supporting Crime Victims"

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Smile Center, a support institution for crime victims, opened in Jeju Island on the 29th. The Smile Center is a trauma integrated support institution that helps crime victims and their families who have suffered mental shock due to violent crimes to return to their daily lives. It is a matter managed by the Ministry of Justice on a mid- to long-term basis.

The opening ceremony was attended by Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, Democratic Party lawmaker Song Jae-ho, Jeju Provincial Government Deputy Governor Go Young-kwon, Chairman of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Council Jwa Nam-su, and heads of related organizations supporting crime victims.

The Jeju Smile Center, established in Ido 1(il)-dong, Jeju City, is a five-story building equipped with counseling rooms, play therapy rooms, group therapy rooms, cooking therapy rooms, and living quarters. In the future, the Smile Center plans to provide not only counseling and systematic psychological treatment through psychiatrists and clinical psychology experts but also temporary housing for personal protection.

Moreover, 85.3% of the psychological treatment staff at the Smile Center consist of psychiatrists and clinical psychology experts. Due to this expertise, there have been many cases where symptoms of severe mental distress experienced by victims of violent crimes, such as social withdrawal and panic disorder, have improved through psychological services.

Minister Choo stated, "Based on the excellent resources and accumulated experience that the Smile Center possesses, we will always pay attention and strive to support so that services that can comfort and heal crime victims in the Jeju region can be provided." Meanwhile, the Smile Center has been operating a total of 14 centers up to last year, starting with the Seoul East Smile Center in July 2010. By September 2020, it had provided approximately 370,000 cases of psychological treatment support and temporary residence services to crime victims.