Since 2007, 15 immigrant women were killed as a result of domestic violence and abuses in South Korea, according to Korean Women’s Human Rights Center.
Domestic violence encompasses a wide range of abuses, including physical assault, sexual assault, and intimidation. It is widespread and often goes under the radar, a center representative said to local media.
Protestors marching against domestic violence and abuses. (Yonhap)
But the government does very little to provide assistance to victims or heavily punish those who commit such crimes. Domestic violence is often ignored, and some victims are too fearful to report to the police. Even less assistance is given to immigrant women, who often face difficulties acquiring visas after marrying Korean men.
The Korean Women’s Human Rights Center said it has been lobbying on behalf of women’s rights and providing assistance to not only Korean women, but also women of other backgrounds and nationalities living in the country. Still, there is no concrete evidence to say that domestic abuses are more common in international marriages than in domestic marriages.
The center operates a 24-hour hotline which is available in 13 different languages. Due to the widespread accessibility of the hotline, the center reported over 100,000 consultations over the past year. Of that number, 40,000 were related to domestic violence.
By Paige Shin / Intern reporter (
paigeshin2019@heraldcorp.com)
