Rising Incidence of Sexual Violence Linked to Ex-Partners in South Korea

A recent survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family revealed that 42.5% of women harmed by illegal filming and deepfakes identified ex-partners as perpetrators, a significant increase from 13.8% in 2022. The overall rate of sexual violence via communications media has decreased from 9.8% in 2022 to 7.6% in 2025. However, the rate of harm from ex-partners surged by 28.7 percentage points. The survey, conducted with 10,151 adults aged 19 to 64, also noted that the reporting rate among victims remains low at 1.8%. Many victims cited reasons for not reporting, including the perception that the harm was not serious. The demand for policies to prevent secondary victimization was highlighted as a priority by 45.7% of respondents. The findings indicate a troubling trend in intimate relationship violence, despite an overall decline in reported sexual violence cases.

Key Points: • 42.5% of women harmed by deepfakes identified ex-partners as perpetrators. • The overall rate of sexual violence via communications media fell to 7.6% in 2025. • Only 1.8% of victims reported incidents to the police, citing various reasons.