Bill would close loophole allowing abusers to learn victims' addresses through deliberate transfers and lawsuits
Legislation is being pursued to block perpetrators from deliberately transferring money to victims and then using the resulting debt relationship as a pretext to obtain their addresses through legal proceedings.
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Heo Young introduced a bill Wednesday to amend the Resident Registration Act. "This amendment is designed to prevent perpetrators of stalking, sexual violence, domestic violence and sex crimes against children and youth from exploiting debt relationships to locate victims' addresses, and to expand the range of victims entitled to legal protection," he said.
Under current law, anyone with a legitimate interest — not just the registered individual or household members — may apply to view or obtain a copy of a resident registration record. However, some perpetrators have exploited this provision by deliberately transferring cash to victims to fabricate a debt relationship, then using civil litigation to obtain the victim's address. Lawmakers say the gap requires urgent legislative remedy.
According to Heo, the existing system restricting access to resident registration records was designed primarily around protecting domestic violence victims, leaving it ill-equipped to shield those at high risk of retaliation — including victims of stalking, sexual violence and sex crimes involving minors.
Critics have also noted that the current restrictions are discretionary rather than mandatory, making it difficult to apply them consistently even when victims formally request protection.
The bill would expand the categories of people eligible to request access restrictions — from domestic violence victims and their household members and direct-line relatives — to include stalking and sexual violence victims and their household members and direct-line relatives, as well as child and youth victims and their guardians. It would also make the restrictions mandatory once a victim files a request.
However, the bill carves out an exception when a court issues a formal request for investigation — a procedure by which courts ask relevant agencies to verify facts or submit documents needed for trial. Even in such cases, the head of the issuing agency would be required to notify the court without delay of the grounds for the access restriction, ensuring the court takes into account the risk of exposing the victim's address.
"We will close the legal loopholes that allow perpetrators to track victims, so that crime victims can feel safe and rebuild their daily lives," Heo said.
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