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77 Better laws, but low awareness Korea saw a fivefold increase in sexual vio- lence reports between 1992 and 2012, ac- cording to Ewha Womans University profes- sor Lee Mi-kyoung. This figure includes rape, sexual assault and other offenses such as flashing. The reporting rate increased as well, from 2.2 percent in 1992 to 7.6 percent. “But the rate is still very low,” said Lee, who has taught women’s studies since 1990 and whose main interest is the legal protection of victims’ rights. The reason the rate is so low, she said, is because there is a general lack of awareness about sexual violence in Korea, and improve- ments in the law have yet to make a real im- pact on society. “Korea enacted the law (on sexual violence) in a relatively short period of time,” she said. Now, it’s a matter of ensuring that the law is enforced correctly, she said. Recent reports have suggested that sexual violence has actually declined in recent years, Lee said, citing a recent news article examining the sexual assault reporting rate based on surveys in 2010 and 2013. She said she believes the results are reliable, but said it is premature to conclude that the number of sex crimes has decreased just because the number of reports has dropped. “Actually, this is how the government reads the statistics: They assert their policy was highly successful by concluding that the num- ber of sex crimes decreased,” she said, adding ‘i don’t knoW Where i got the idea that it Was my fault, and i don’t knoW Where i got the idea that i couldn’t tell somebody about it, but it took a long time to come forWard.’ — chelle b. mille headlights when I saw the guy who raped me standing near the bar,” she said. Michael didn’t know what to do: Attack the man physically? Tell the people she was with? Call a club security guard, or the police? “None of the above occurred,” she wrote, “because I didn’t know who to talk to about it.” Since then, both of Michael’s cases have been closed due to lack of evidence. that it is important to look beyond the statistics and reflect on the people behind the numbers. Lee said police sensitivity and sexual assault prevention programs needed significant im- provement. Police agencies are establishing special victims units across the country, which she called a helpful step. “But that doesn’t mean everything,” she said. “We should think about whether people from the unit (understand the issues surrounding) sexual violence.” It is im- portant to invest in training to that end, she added. Korea’s law on sexual violence mandates educational programs on sexual harassment prevention at the elementary, secondary and university levels, as well as in the workplace. But she said these programs generally consist of lectures given to large groups of students, and she hopes for more open discussion on the subject. “We do not have the kinds of opportunities where people share their personal experienc- es as victims of sexual violence,” she said. Lee is also a director, cofounder and board member of Korea’s first rape crisis center, the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, which opened in 1991. The KSVRC is a nongovern- mental organization that seeks to address sexual violence by advocating for victims’ rights and changing the way society and institutions look at the is- sue. That approach distinguish- es the KSVRC from other cen- ters, she said. The organization receives a portion of its funding from the Korean government, about 60 million won a year, but Lee said that covers only a fraction of its operating costs while restricting its activities in the areas of ad- vocacy and government moni- toring. For example, the government requires the center to enter victims’ personal information, including their resident regis- tration number, into a database. The government says this is done to prevent fraud, including false claims and duplication of support. The KSVRC believes the policy could endanger vic- tims or lead to re-victimization, but the organization is limited in what it can do to challenge the practice. “We usually collide with the government over administrative problems,” she said. Nonetheless, Lee said she has seen real progress over the years in the availability of assistance for victims. “The new government announced four major social hazards — sexual violence, domestic vi- olence, school violence and junk food — and they are making efforts to eradicate them,” she said. “Thanks to these efforts, an insti- tutional infrastructure (to address sexual vio- lence) has been established.” However, she also said there is a need for greater awareness about what constitutes sexual violence and a change in societal atti- tudes toward assault victims. “We should be aware that sexual violence is something that can either happen to me or be done by me,” she said. “We can also look at it as having a sensitivity toward human rights. It is not limited to sexual violence. It is a process of figuring out ways to be considerate and re- spectful in human relationships. Without this process, it will be difficult to eradicate sexual violence.”