More than half of South Korean men believe that sexual violence can diminish if women are more cautious about their conduct, a government survey showed Monday, revealing that society's stigma towards sexual assault victims remains high.

In a sexual violence survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on 7,200 adults aged 16 to 64 conducted from September to December last year, 55 percent of men answered "sexual violence can be reduced if women are careful." The same response among women stood at 42 percent.

Among men, 54.5 percent thought "excessively revealing fashion" was a cause of sexual violence, while 56.9 percent believed that if a woman is raped while taking a ride offered by a stranger, they themselves are partly responsible as well.

Also, 42.5 percent of male respondents believed that if a woman goes to a man's home after their first encounter, she is consenting to sex, while 8.7 percent even replied that some women "enjoy being raped."

Meanwhile, 30.7 percent of women believed that "men cannot control themselves when they are sexually aroused," while 22 percent of men agreed with the response.

Among women, 20.4 percent of those who said they were subject to sexual violence in the past answered that they suffered from mental pain as well. The rate among male respondents stood at 2.6 percent.

"There are still many cases where victims seek help just from nearby people and shun reporting it to authorities," a ministry official said, and added that the government will initiate a campaign to better inform the public on official support programs. (Yonhap)