South Korea to Launch Real-Time Tracking App to Protect Stalking Victims

Written By: Rylan Walls

Adapted for Web By: Rylan Walls

SEOUL — In the wake of new anti-stalking legislation, the South Korean government is making a new mobile application that will give stalking victims real-time information on the offender's whereabouts. This will be a major step toward strengthening protections against stalking-related crimes in this country.

Under current law, victims are sent a text message when a monitored stalker is in the vicinity. Authorities track the offenders using wearable electronic devices. But officials say the text-alert system offers limited information, making it impossible for victims to discern a stalker's exact whereabouts or how near they might be.

The new app, in turn, would narrow that chasm by allowing victims to be aware of the real-time location of their offenders whenever they are in proximity. According to officials, situational awareness gives victims better clearance, thus enabling them to make quicker and safer decisions, such as avoiding particular locations or searching for immediate help.

Stalking concerns have grown over the years in South Korea amid a stream of high-profile cases that ignited public outrage anew and fresh calls for tougher legal and technological defenses.

Government officials say the new app is designed to provide victims with a more surefire method of self-protection and a means of more easily escaping to safety in potentially threatening situations.