"2025 Women's Violence Statistics"
75% of Perpetrators Are Male
Among Male Offenders, Those Aged 60 and Above Are the Most Numerous
Last year, a total of 219 individuals were found to have committed murder or attempted murder against their current or former spouses or romantic partners. Of these perpetrators, 75.8% were men, and among male offenders, those aged 60 and above accounted for the largest proportion at 34.3%. This marks the first time the government has released national-level statistics on violent crimes arising from "intimate relationships."
On December 30, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held the 15th Women's Violence Prevention Committee and announced the "2025 Women's Violence Statistics," which comprehensively covers the current state of violence against women.
This is the second publication of the Women's Violence Statistics since its inaugural release in 2022. Compiled every three years in accordance with the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence against Women, these statistics aggregate data scattered across central government agencies such as the Ministry of Justice, Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and National Police Agency, to provide an overview of the occurrence and victimization of violence against women. Notably, this year's report includes, for the first time, statistics on intimate partner homicide, dating violence, and stalking crimes.
According to the Ministry's survey on the actual state of violence against women, as of last year, 19.4% of women reported having experienced violence in an intimate relationship at some point in their lives. The rate of women who experienced such violence in the past year was 3.5%. Given that the lifetime and past-year prevalence rates for violence against women were 36.1% and 7.6%, respectively, a significant portion of violence against women occurs within intimate relationships.
Last year, 57,973 individuals were apprehended for violent crimes within intimate relationships, a 7.5% decrease from the previous year. By type, assault and injury accounted for 58.6%, stalking for 11.2%, and threats and extortion for 10.1%. Among perpetrators of intimate partner violence, 75.7% were men, and the victims were more often current or former spouses (including common-law partners) at 61.7% than dating partners at 38.3%. In spousal relationships, assault and injury (75.5%) were the most prevalent, while among dating partners, digital sexual violence (94.6%) and stalking (85.2%) were particularly high.
The number of individuals apprehended for committing murder or manslaughter in intimate relationships last year was 219, a 6.8% increase from the previous year. Of those who committed dating partner homicide, 75.8% were men, with the highest proportions among men in their 60s and above (34.3%), followed by those in their 50s (24.1%) and 40s (16.9%), indicating a high share of older offenders.
Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is attending the meeting on measures related to stalking and dating violence held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 24th, delivering opening remarks. 2025.9.24 Photo by Jo Yongjun
Among intimate relationships, cases where the victim was a current or former spouse accounted for a majority at 61.7%. By crime type, assault and injury (75.5%) were the most common, followed by threats and extortion (70.0%), property damage (67.2%), unlawful detention (36.5%), and trespassing (34.1%). When the victim was a dating partner, the rates of digital sexual violence (94.6%), stalking (85.2%), and rape or sexual assault (83.9%) were extremely high. In homicide and manslaughter cases as well, victims were spouses in 61.2% of cases last year.
This year marks the first release of statistics on stalking crimes. The number of suspects booked for stalking was 10,545 in 2022, 12,048 in 2023, and 13,533 last year, showing a steady increase over three consecutive years. Compared to the number of apprehended stalking offenders, the proportion of applications for provisional measures (such as restraining orders within 100 meters, electronic location tracking devices, and detention in police holding cells or detention centers) rose sharply from 75.2% to 91.1% over the same period.
However, the court approval rate for provisional measures decreased compared to the police. Relative to the number of apprehended stalking offenders, the court's approval rate dropped from 86.2% in 2022 to 83.8% last year. The approval rate for emergency measures rose slightly from 92.4% to 93.9% over the same period. The prosecution rate for stalking crimes increased from 41.0% in 2021 to 48.4% in 2023. The number of individuals prosecuted also rose by 30% year-on-year to 5,531 in 2023.
The prosecution rate for sexual violence crimes was 47.0% in 2021, 37.9% in 2022, and 39.2% in 2023. The statistics note that "excluding sex trafficking crimes against children and adolescents, the prosecution rate for sexual violence crimes is generally on the decline." Last year, only 25% of sexual violence offenders subject to sex offender registration received a prison sentence in the final court ruling.
Meanwhile, these statistics are collected every three years based on Article 13 of the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence against Women, aggregating all data related to violence against women from central government agencies and local governments, and are released on the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's official website.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
