Gwanak-gu Supports Crime Victims in Restoring Daily Life

2024 Crime Victim Support Deliberation Committee Meeting: 40 Million Won Support Including Consolation Money for Crime Victims
45 Million Won Subsidy Provided to (Sa) Hanguk Beomjoe Pigaeja Jiwon Jungang Center

Gwanak-gu District Office in Seoul (Mayor Park Jun-hee) plans to provide 85 million KRW this year to help crime victims and their families recover their daily lives.

While perpetrators of crimes are punished, victims who experience crimes unexpectedly often find it difficult to return to normal life due to fear caused by the crime and issues such as medical expenses.

To support the recovery of these crime victims, Gwanak-gu is providing a subsidy of 45 million KRW to the Korea Crime Victim Support Central Center (hereafter Central Center), under the Ministry of Justice, and has allocated 40 million KRW for the Gwanak-gu crime victim support project.

The Central Center’s subsidies for crime victims are used for victims and bereaved families of the ‘five major violent crimes’ including murder, robbery, rape, assault, and arson. The funds are used for emergency support due to accidents, living expenses, medical treatment costs, and scholarships for children of victims. Support is provided even if the victim is not a resident of Gwanak-gu, as long as the crime occurred or the workplace is located in Gwanak-gu.

Meanwhile, in 2017, Gwanak-gu was the first in Seoul to enact the “Ordinance on Support for Crime Victims in Gwanak-gu, Seoul,” and has also promoted support projects for victims who fall outside the scope of the five major violent crimes and thus do not receive support.

Eligible recipients are crime victims registered as residents of Gwanak-gu who are finally selected by the ‘Gwanak-gu Crime Victim Support Deliberation Committee’ upon recommendation by the Gwanak Police Station chief. They receive support such as moving expenses, psychological treatment costs, and consolation money. Mainly, this targets victims who require additional financial support due to insufficient aid from the Central Center or those who have not received any support.

Last year, consolation money and other support totaling 40 million KRW were provided to 26 crime victims, and since 2018, 185 million KRW has been given to 126 crime victims.

Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, “Through the crime victim support project, we will do our best to help crime victims and their families overcome trauma and return to their daily lives as soon as possible.”