[Controversy Over Sex Offenders' Residence]② Over 100 Sex Offenders Whose Addresses Are Unknown... Gaps in Supervision and Management

Police Fail to Track Registered Offenders' Addresses... Security Gap
Limitations in Supervision by Ministry of Gender Equality and Local Governments
Experts Urge Strengthened Monitoring Through Unified Contact Point

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] It has been confirmed that there are more than 100 registered offenders whose addresses have not been identified by the police. There are also criticisms that the supervision by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the main department in charge, and local governments is limited.

According to the National Police Agency on the 22nd, as of January this year, a total of 113 registered offenders have been wanted. Registered offenders refer to those who have been convicted of crimes such as sexual violence, rape, sexual assault, and illegal filming.

A police official stated, "If the whereabouts of the subject cannot be found after tracking, a warrant is obtained and they are wanted." Currently, the police check every three months whether sex offenders are residing at their actual addresses. If the address cannot be identified among them, they are classified as wanted persons.

The police have to handle incidents reported through 112 emergency calls and complaints, so post-management is practically difficult. A police official lamented, "More than 20 cases of sexual violence, sexual assault, and illegal filming are reported daily," adding, "When dealing with immediate incidents, there is no time to prevent the risk of reoffending." In particular, it is difficult to allocate manpower to find registered offenders who have received fines.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Errors in Actual Residence... Registration Period 10 to 30 Years

It is also not easy to obtain information in advance through the Sexual Offender Notification e-System managed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

According to Article 42, Paragraph 1 of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, those convicted of crimes subject to registration have their information disclosed on the Sexual Offender Notification e-System. However, even if false information is submitted, the punishment is minor, with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 5 million KRW. Because of this, some subjects have registered their actual residence as commercial buildings or other spaces, causing controversy.

The effectiveness of the registration period has also been consistently questioned. Currently, the registration period is 10 years for those sentenced to fines, 15 years for imprisonment of up to 3 years, 20 years for imprisonment between 3 and 10 years, and 30 years for imprisonment exceeding 10 years. The registration period is only up to 30 years, and 10 years for fines, which reduces its effectiveness.

A Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official explained, "Disclosure or notification serves as a preventive measure, but it also carries weight for the individual," adding, "Currently, the disclosure period varies according to the sentence, and there are no plans to extend the period."

Local Governments Lack Supervisory Authority... Respond Only to Collective Opposition

Although this issue could escalate into conflicts with local residents, local governments are also passive. Currently, individual local governments only operate counseling centers and protection facilities for victims of sexual crimes.

They say it is difficult to intervene actively unless there is opposition from residents. A local government official in Seoul stated, "We do not monitor sex offenders separately," and added, "There is no legal basis to manage them." Another local government official said, "In cases of serious crimes, residents often become aware first and react collectively," but added, "However, since we do not have the authority to forcibly request their relocation, mediation is impossible." Previously, Ansan City spent 700 million KRW on security personnel wages to monitor and manage child sex offender Jo Doo-soon, who was released in December 2020, but resident opposition continues.

Experts have pointed out the need to unify the monitoring system for offenders. Currently, offender information registration is under the Ministry of Justice, disclosure under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and regular inspections under the National Police Agency.

Legislative researcher Heo Min-sook from the National Assembly Legislative Research Office said, "The police's failure to identify the whereabouts of sex offenders represents a huge security gap," adding, "If supervision is not properly conducted, the Sexual Offender Notification e-System, which is a public disclosure system, becomes meaningless." She emphasized, "Since offenders may get the impression that monitoring is lax, cooperation among the police, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Ministry of Justice, and local governments is necessary to strengthen supervision."