The Ministry of Justice and the Korean National Police Agency have joined forces to prevent offenders wearing electronic ankle monitors — typically for sexual violence and other serious crimes — from committing additional stalking or domestic violence offenses. The two agencies will share information on such offenders and respond jointly when a perpetrator attempts to approach a victim.
The Ministry of Justice and the Korean National Police Agency announced Saturday that they will begin implementing a "high-risk subject cooperative response plan" starting Sunday.
The measure was drawn up to prevent a repeat of violent stalking crimes, including the so-called Namyangju stalking murder case in March, in which Kim Hun, 44, who was wearing an ankle monitor for a sexual violence conviction, killed a woman he had been stalking.
Under the Stalking Punishment Act and the Electronic Device Attachment Act, both enacted in 2024, the two agencies had already been sharing information on individuals placed under provisional ankle-monitor orders.
However, no procedure existed to share information or coordinate a response when a person already wearing an ankle monitor for a specific crime — such as murder, sexual violence or robbery — went on to commit stalking or domestic violence and received a no-contact order.
In response, the Ministry of Justice and police linked their systems to ensure that no-contact orders and related information are shared promptly between the two agencies.
The two agencies have also agreed to mount an immediate joint response whenever a perpetrator attempts to approach a victim. Under the arrangement, a Ministry of Justice probation officer will be dispatched to the perpetrator while a police officer simultaneously heads to the victim, allowing both sides to monitor whether the perpetrator is closing in. If a no-contact order is violated, the two agencies will cooperate to apprehend the offender.
The Ministry of Justice and the Korean National Police Agency also completed two weeks of field training and a nationwide joint simulation exercise that began June 22.
Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said the government would "concentrate all its capabilities on filling the blind spots in the system so that the public can enjoy a safe and peaceful daily life free from crime."
Yoo Jae-seong, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said the agency would "build a practical safety net that allows victims to feel secure from the threat of relationship-based crimes, including thoroughly isolating perpetrators from the moment they attempt to make contact, through close information-sharing cooperation with the Ministry of Justice."
20ki@heraldcorp.com
