7.7-Fold Increase in Total Sexual Harassment Cases Over 5 Years
Penalties for Inducing Sexual Shame or Disgust
Most Victims Are Women in Their Teens and Twenties
On the 5th, Kim (24) received this message on her social networking service (SNS). When she checked the sender's account, all the posts were filled with photos of women in revealing poses. Kim said, "It's humiliating to receive such a message, and I'm worried whether I should delete all the photos I posted on SNS because I'm afraid of receiving such contacts again." She added, "I don't know how to handle this, so I have only blocked and reported the sender on SNS."
Recently, cases of 'telecommunication-based obscenity' victims like Kim have surged on online platforms such as SNS, games, and communities. Telecommunication-based obscenity (Tongmaeum) refers to cases where words, texts, videos, or objects that cause sexual shame or disgust are transmitted to others through telecommunication media. According to Article 13 of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes, offenders can face imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 5 million KRW.
The Supreme Court has ruled that it judges whether the defendant had the purpose of arousing or satisfying their own or another person's sexual desire by considering the relationship between the defendant and the victim, the motive and circumstances of the act, and the means used.
In fact, the number of telecommunication-based obscenity cases has been explosively increasing recently. According to the National Police Agency, the number of cases rose from 1,365 in 2018 to 10,563 in 2022, a 7.7-fold increase over five years.
Victims of telecommunication-based obscenity are especially concentrated among women and people in their teens and twenties. Among the total 20,480 victims from 2018 to 2022, 12,960 were women, accounting for about 63%. Among female victims, those aged 30 or younger accounted for 77%, a high proportion. Among all victims, those aged 30 or younger numbered 15,404, making up 75.21%.
Choi Ran, Deputy Director of the Korea Sexual Violence Counseling Center, explained, "Whether online or offline, the ability to commit crimes against someone generally reflects power dynamics. Especially since women are often targeted for sexual harassment or obscene expressions, it is common that there are many female victims of telecommunication-based obscenity."
Most suspects are revealed to be young people in their teens to thirties. A police official said, "Looking at the ages of suspects, most are quite young," adding, "Many do not realize that easily talking to strangers online can cause psychological harm."
Experts predict that crimes like telecommunication-based obscenity will increase further. Unlike the past when access to others was difficult, various approaches and crimes have become easier through online means. Eun Lee, a lawyer specializing in sexual crimes, said, "It has become easier to find personal information and contact others through SNS. Since the threshold for access has lowered, the crime rate will inevitably continue to rise."
As the number of reports increases, there are calls for active investigation and punishment. Deputy Director Choi said, "Many victims of such crimes still say, 'I thought reporting to the police would solve everything, but I was treated as overly sensitive and told it was nothing serious.'" She added, "Since there is concern that harm might extend beyond telecommunication media into reality, active investigation and punishment are necessary."
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