The Ministry of Justice has successfully developed a mobile app that tracks the movements of stalking offenders in real time, marking its first demonstration.
On May 27, the ministry held a media event at the central monitoring center, unveiling the app that allows victims to directly monitor the location and movements of their stalkers.
Named the "Stalker Location Notification" app, it is set to officially launch on June 24.
During the demonstration, the app displayed a clear map on the victim's smartphone showing the real-time movement of a stalking offender wearing an electronic monitoring device as they approached within a certain distance. At the same time, the app enabled the probation officer to inform the victim of the situation, while police on-site could swiftly apprehend the offender.
The key feature of this service is that it shares the location information of offenders, previously only accessible to the monitoring center, directly with victims in real time.
Previously, victims were notified via phone through the monitoring center when an offender approached. Now, victims can visually confirm the offender's location through the app on their smartphones.
Actor Yoon Park, an honorary probation officer who participated in the event, shared his experience with the app, stating, "While the immediate response from government agencies is reassuring, being able to see where the offender is coming from transforms a vague sense of anxiety into a manageable situation."
The attending journalists discussed the app's user-friendliness and information security, while also experiencing the process of electronic monitoring and alert handling to assess the effectiveness of the electronic supervision system.
The Ministry of Justice plans to conduct final checks on system stability before the launch and will begin utilizing the app to protect stalking victims at the end of next month.
Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho emphasized, "Since the government's inception, we have worked to create a society where citizens feel safe through the expansion of one-on-one electronic monitoring and the introduction of location notification services. We will actively incorporate the feedback from today's demonstration to establish a comprehensive system for crime prevention and victim protection."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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