Taking Security into Own Hands with Home CCTV
Light Punishments Despite Potential for Serious Crimes
As a man was forcibly breaking into the home of a female BJ active in internet broadcasting and was arrested and prosecuted, anxiety about home intrusion is intensifying, especially among women living alone. In response, more people are taking their own security measures by installing plastic double locks and home CCTV systems.
Lee (30), an office worker who has been living alone in Gwanak-gu, Seoul for 10 years, recently purchased a plastic double lock worth about 4,000 won online and attached it to his front door. This was because he felt fear after a case was reported last year in which a real estate employee in his 40s tried to forcibly enter the home of a woman living alone by inserting a wire through the gap of the front door. The lock Lee bought is designed to slide a rod under the door lock handle and has gained great popularity among single-person households. Lee said, "I bought five more locks and shared them with friends who live alone," adding, "Even though it is an inexpensive plastic security device, it seems to reduce fear significantly."
Mr. Lee, who has been living alone in Gwanak-gu, Seoul for 10 years, recently installed a plastic double lock on his front door. [Photo by Reader]
The number of single-person households using security company services to respond to home intrusion crimes is also rapidly increasing. Choi (30), an office worker living alone in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, installed a home CCTV at the front door by paying a rental fee of about 10,000 won per month. He felt threatened after hearing an unidentified person pressing the door lock in the early morning hours. The CCTV Choi installed has functions to record the front door in real time and to sound an alarm if a stranger loiters in front of the door.
A representative from the security company SK Shieldus (formerly ADT Caps) said, "We operate a home CCTV service that supports recording the opening and closing of the front door, the time, and video storage so that it can be used as evidence for the police in case of emergency," adding, "As demand for the service has increased mainly among single-person households, the number of subscribers increased eightfold compared to 2019 as of last year."
Although anxiety among single-person households is increasing like this, the legal punishment level for home intrusion crimes is far too light to raise awareness. Even if prosecuted for home intrusion, if no additional violent crimes such as sexual offenses or theft are committed, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of 5 million won.
However, in actual rulings, cases receiving more than one year of imprisonment or fines exceeding 1 million won are extremely rare. Asia Economy analyzed 50 first-instance rulings over the past three years for cases prosecuted solely for home intrusion and found that only two cases resulted in imprisonment. The defendants sentenced to imprisonment in the first trial received only four months and six months of imprisonment, respectively. There were also two cases each of suspended sentences and fines, with fines amounting to only 1 million won and 700,000 won. The remaining 44 cases were acquitted.
Experts point out that in cases of home intrusion crimes targeting women, the punishment level should be strengthened because there is a high possibility of leading to violent crimes. Professor Lee Yun-ho of Dongguk University’s Department of Police Administration emphasized, "Home intrusion can be linked to other crimes such as sexual violence later on," adding, "It should not be seen as a simple crime of curiosity-driven intrusion into someone else’s residence, but rather, considering the risk of leading to violent crimes in the future, it is necessary to respond strongly."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
