Nearly one in five killings recorded in South Korea from 2023 through September 2026 involved an earlier warning sign linked to the same alleged offender, according to National Police Agency data submitted to lawmaker Kim Nam-hee. Of 2,760 killings during that period, 543 cases, or 19.7 percent, included a prior act of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual violence.
The proportion remained close to one-fifth across the annual figures. Police identified relevant prior violence in 147 of 764 killings in 2023, or 19.3 percent. The share rose to 20.1 percent in 2024, with 155 of 769 cases, and to 20.9 percent in 2025, with 140 of 669 cases.
For 2026, the available count covers January through September. Of 558 killings recorded in that period, 101, or 18.2 percent, involved at least one of the specified forms of earlier violence. Because the 2026 figure is partial, it should not be treated as a full-year comparison.
Early reports can signal escalating danger
Recent cases cited in the report show how reported threats can precede lethal violence. In Jeju, a woman who had reported stalking and sexual violence was killed by a man in his 60s. In Daejeon, a woman who had reported stalking was killed by a man in his 40s. The supplied evidence does not specify the status or outcome of proceedings in either case.
Kim, a member of the Democratic Party, said she plans to propose an amendment to the Stalking Punishment Act that would define types of stalking conduct more specifically. Her stated goal is to help authorities identify dangerous behavior and protect victims at an early stage, before repetition and persistence become unmistakable. The figures focus attention on whether initial reports of stalking and relationship-based violence can trigger timely risk assessment and protective measures.