South Korean authorities are developing a mobile app designed to help stalking victims track the real-time location of their stalkers if they are nearby. The app, announced by the Ministry of Justice on December 4, 2025, is part of an amendment to the country’s electronic monitoring law.
Stalking has become a significant public concern in South Korea, especially after several high-profile cases of stalking-related crimes made headlines in recent years.
Under the current law, victims can receive text alerts when their stalkers are nearby, but these alerts do not provide the exact location of the perpetrator, making it difficult for victims to assess their immediate surroundings.
The updated law will allow victims to view the exact location of their stalkers on a map via their smartphones, enabling them to take immediate action and seek safety. Authorities will track stalkers’ movements using wearable electronic devices.
The Ministry of Justice has also announced plans to integrate the tracking system with the national emergency hotline, allowing law enforcement to be dispatched to assist victims when needed. This feature is expected to be fully operational by next year.
Critics argue that stalking is part of a broader issue of violence against women in South Korea, citing cases of women being filmed without consent and receiving threats for their feminist views. In 2022, public outrage followed the murder of a young woman by her male ex-colleague, who had stalked her for years. Despite her complaints to the police, he was not detained, as authorities considered him a “low-risk” offender.
South Korea introduced its anti-stalking law in 2021, which imposes penalties of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million Korean won ($20,400; £15,300). The law was amended in 2023 to lower the threshold for prosecuting stalkers. Since then, reports of stalking incidents have surged, with over 13,000 cases in 2023, up from 7,600 in 2022, according to the Ministry of Justice.
