Reports of violence by romantic partners rose last year from a year earlier, police said, vowing to step up efforts to prevent this type of crime and protect victims.

The number of dating violence cases reported to police came to 19,940 in 2019, up from 18,671 a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the National Police Agency. In 2017, the figure came to 14,136.

Of the total, 9,858 people were booked for criminal charges last year, compared to 10,245 in 2018, the data showed. (Yonhap)