SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - A bill to require courts to shield domestic violence victims’ addresses and other contact details has been introduced in South Korea following the killing of a woman who went into hiding from her violent husband.
People Power Party Rep. Kim Gunn, a member of the National Assembly’s Gender Equality and Family Committee, said Tuesday he had introduced an amendment to the Family Litigation Act to prevent victims’ new addresses or contact information from being disclosed to alleged abusers during divorce and other family lawsuits.
Under existing law, a party to a family lawsuit can ask a court to protect personal information in court records if disclosure could endanger that person’s life or physical safety.
Kim’s bill would require courts to act without a request when a domestic violence victim is already covered by an emergency order, restraining order, temporary protection order or victim protection order. Courts would also be allowed to initiate protections when there are substantial grounds to believe a victim faces physical harm.
Kim’s office cited a recent case in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in which a woman who had moved with her young daughter to escape domestic violence was killed after her new address was reportedly disclosed to her husband during divorce proceedings.
The woman had received a temporary protection order and a police-issued smartwatch.
“There must be no protection gap that allows a victim’s information to be exposed to an abuser during litigation,” Kim said. “I will do my utmost to eliminate blind spots that expose victims’ addresses and ensure their safety comes first.”
The proposal follows another victim-protection bill Kim introduced on June 18. That amendment to the Stalking Punishment Act would require authorities to notify stalking victims of developments involving offenders — including investigations, trials, imprisonment and release — without requiring a separate request from victims.
The bill remains under review by the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
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