Social policies and services for survivors of domestic violence in South Korea

Abstract

Social policies and services addressing domestic violence have been developed recently in South Korea but scarcely reported to the international audience. We adopted the empowerment perspective, comprehensively reviewing whether, and how, policies and services empower survivors in Korea. Survivor services and criminal justice responses have great potential for survivor empowerment in Korea. However, these services serve only a limited number of survivors, and police officers often do not arrest perpetrators even though it is encouraged by law. It is critical to increase the number of service providers and make sure that training for law enforcement personnel is fully funded and appropriately implemented nationwide.