Gender Equality Minister: "Victim Support Task Force to Launch... Monitor Entire Investigation and Prosecution Process"

Briefing on Measures to Protect and Support Victims of Gender-Based Violence
Won Mingyeong: "We Will Serve as a Public Safety Net and a Reliable Source of Support"
Victims' Rights Checklist Guidebook to Be Distributed; Training for Frontline Workers

The government will launch a task force to review the entire process of reforming the criminal justice system and ensure there are no gaps in protection for victims of gender-based violence.

Won Minkyung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said at the Seoul Government Complex on Oct. 8, "Institutions and the justice system may change, but the state's duty to protect victims does not. We will serve as a public safety net and a reliable ally so that victims are not left in legal blind spots or marginalized."

Won Minkyung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, speaks at the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 8 about measures to protect and support the rights of victims of gender-based violence in relation to the enforcement of the amended Criminal Procedure Act. Oct. 8, 2026. Photo by Cho Yongjun

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to immediately launch the "Public-Private Partnership Task Force for Victim Support" (working title) to monitor every step, from the filing of a case and investigation through referral or non-referral for prosecution, indictment, and trial. It will review whether victims are adequately informed about the progress of their cases; whether they are given information about appropriate remedies when investigations are delayed or their rights are violated; and whether their opportunities to exercise their rights, including filing objections to non-referral for prosecution or requesting meetings with prosecutors, are properly protected.

The ministry will also distribute a guidebook, "10 Rights Checks for Victims of Gender-Based Violence," to help victims easily understand criminal proceedings and their rights. The guide is designed to give victims a clear overview of what to check and which rights they can exercise during the investigation and prosecution stages.

The guide will be distributed through the ministry's website and victim support organizations, and will also be used in victim counseling and training for frontline workers. Victims can use the QR code in the guide to find detailed information about each right and locate nearby counseling centers and other support organizations.

When violence occurs, victims can call the emergency hotline at 1366 to be immediately connected with one of 625 victim support organizations nationwide and receive a range of assistance, including counseling, legal, medical, and protective services.

The ministry will strengthen free legal assistance so victims can receive legal support from the early stages of an investigation. It plans to increase support for attorney fees in criminal investigations and first-instance proceedings from 1.5 million won to 2.5 million won, and to broaden legal assistance for recovery from harm, including in civil and family law cases. The relevant budget will rise from 3.9 billion won this year to 4.3 billion won next year. Last year, the ministry provided free legal assistance in 2,492 cases, of which 31.5% (784 cases) involved criminal matters.

Minister Won said, "The ministry's free legal assistance program is not widely known, so it appears that only a small number of people are using it compared with the overall number of victims." She added, "If more victims request support, I believe the state should take responsibility, increase the budget, and provide assistance. I think the relevant ministries share that view."

To support victims in criminal cases, the ministry plans to strengthen the capabilities of a legal team of about 370 attorneys with expertise in gender-based violence and provide tailored legal services that offer practical help. It will hold practical workshops focused on recent changes to the criminal justice system, legal issues, and case studies, and expand training for newly appointed attorneys on understanding and supporting victims of gender-based violence, including key considerations in providing assistance.

In addition, the ministry plans to provide special training on the amended Criminal Procedure Act for staff at protection agencies and expand training for investigative agencies on preventing secondary victimization and stalking. It will increase the number of investigative personnel receiving specialized training from 2,500 this year to 5,000 next year, so they can better understand victims' psychological states and the specific characteristics of gender-based violence.

Minister Won said, "We are committed to fully protecting victims' rights and providing close support throughout the entire process, from the initial stages of an investigation to the recovery of their daily lives." She added, "Please watch to see that this major transition in the criminal justice system leads not to a rollback of victims' rights, but to a firmly established and more comprehensive system of victim protection, fair investigations, and rulings that empathize with victims' suffering."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.