Seoul city and police are strengthening a joint response network to more swiftly address crimes committed in intimate relationships, including stalking and dating violence. The effort focuses on connecting services across agencies — from initial reports and safety measures to counseling, legal and medical support, and eventual recovery — so victims can receive the help they need in a timely manner.
The Seoul Women and Family Foundation announced Monday that it held an interagency roundtable on relationship-based crime response Wednesday at the Ministry of Justice's One-Stop Solution Center for Crime Victims at Seoul Women's Plaza. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Dongjak Police Station, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Dongjak-gu Office all participated.
The roundtable brought together 32 people, including Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Park Jeong-bo and officials from the participating agencies, as well as a monitoring support team made up of retired police officers. Attendees shared updates on field response conditions and discussed ways to improve collaboration.
Participants reviewed each agency's current response to relationship-based crimes such as stalking and dating violence and discussed ways to reduce coverage gaps that can arise on the ground. They also examined how to connect support procedures more seamlessly — going beyond immediate safety measures to link victims with counseling, legal, psychological and medical services so they can return to stable daily life.
The foundation provides victims of stalking, dating violence and digital sex crimes with counseling, case management, risk assessment and safety measures, and connects them with specialized legal, psychological and medical services as needed. In recognition of its work supporting victim safety and recovery in coordination with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and police, the foundation received a commendation from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at the roundtable.
Before the roundtable, Commissioner Park visited the Seoul Stalking Victim One-Stop Support Center, the Seoul Digital Sex Crime Relief Support Center and the Ministry of Justice's One-Stop Solution Center for Crime Victims in succession to review their operations and encourage staff.
Police are expanding information sharing and service coordination between local governments and specialist agencies to strengthen their initial response to relationship-based crimes such as stalking and dating violence. They are also reinforcing interagency cooperation to ensure necessary measures are taken swiftly after an incident.
Information sharing between agencies is also set to improve. By the end of September, police plan to link their SAN System — a comprehensive platform for protecting vulnerable people — with the Seoul Metropolitan Government's lifestyle welfare information system in a two-way connection, enabling faster coordination between field response and welfare services.
Through the linkage, welfare and counseling services will remain available to victims even after police safety measures are completed. Support agencies will also be able to follow up based on victim situations reported to them, ensuring each agency's response remains uninterrupted.
"We will continue to strengthen the support infrastructure for victims of stalking, dating violence and digital sex crimes by working closely with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and other partner agencies," foundation chief executive Park Jeong-suk said. "We will do our best to build a Seoul where citizens can feel safe, with public and private sectors closely connected across the full spectrum from prevention to victim support and recovery."
7toy7@heraldcorp.com
