According to Rep. Jeong Yong-ki of the ruling Saenuri Party, the number of murder cases among dating partners has been on the rise in Korea since 2012, from 99 to 108 last year. In the last three years, the number of victims like Kim totaled 313.
The murder cases accounted for 11.9 per cent of all crimes committed by the victims' romantic partners against them, including stalking, physical violence and rape. The rate is particularly high considering the total number of murder cases in Korea only accounted for 1.69 per cent of all violent crimes — murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — in the same period.
"This means two people are being killed by their romantic partners every week," Rep. Jeong said.
According to Korea Women's Hotline, a nongovernmental organisation helping female victims of violence, at least 114 Korean women were killed by either their husbands or boyfriends last year, while at least 95 women survived after being seriously attacked by their spouses or romantic partners.