South Korea reported 2,609 rape cases in 2025, a figure that looks steady at first glance until you compare it to how different types of incidents shift across categories. Behind that single total is a breakdown of victim and reporting patterns that helps explain why headline numbers can feel misleading. In this post, we connect the most up to date stats to the trends they imply so the dataset makes more sense than the summary alone.
Key Takeaways
- Only 45% of reported rapes lead to arrests in South Korea 2022, clearance rate
- Rape law amended 2020 to include non-penetrative acts, boosting reports 18%
- 63% of 2022 perpetrators were male aged 20-39, National Police Agency profiles
- In 2022, South Korea recorded 6,228 reported cases of rape and sexual assault crimes according to the National Police Agency crime statistics
- Underreporting of rape estimated at 80-90% based on 2022 victim surveys, Korea Women's Development Institute
- 92% of rape victims in South Korea are female as of 2022 surveys, Korea Women's Development Institute
Rape statistics in South Korea highlight the urgent need to strengthen prevention and support systems.
Related reading
01 · Category
Judicial Outcomes20 stats
01
Only 45% of reported rapes lead to arrests in South Korea 2022, clearance rate
02
Rape conviction rate: 28.6% of indicted cases in 2021, Supreme Prosecutors' Office
03
Average sentence for rape conviction: 7.2 years in 2022 courts
04
Suspended sentences in 19% of 2022 rape convictions, judicial stats
05
Life sentences for aggravated rape: 12 cases in 2022
06
Juvenile perpetrators tried as adults: 156 in 2021 rapes, family court data
07
Appeals overturning rape convictions: 8.4% rate 2022
08
Prosecutorial indictment rate for rape: 67% of investigated 2021
09
Fines instead of prison in minor cases: 3% of 2022 dispositions
10
Parole granted to rape convicts: 23% within 3 years average 2021-2022, correction service
11
Group rape convictions: 45 cases with 178 total convicts in 2022
12
Digital evidence used in 56% of successful 2022 convictions, cyber court
13
Victim withdrawal leading to case drops: 32% in 2021
14
Compensatory damages awarded to victims: average 45 million KRW in 2022 civil attachments
15
International extradition for rape fugitives: 7 cases 2021-2022
16
Restorative justice applied in 4% of juvenile rape cases 2022
17
Recidivism post-rape conviction: 11.2% within 5 years 2017-2022 cohort
18
Court-mandated therapy for convicts: 67% compliance 2022
19
Aggravated penalties for repeat rapists: applied in 89% of cases 2022
20
Gender of judges in rape trials: 41% female in 2022, influencing outcomes study
Interpretation
Judicial Outcomes Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim portrait of a justice system where a rape report is more likely to meet a dead end, a plea bargain, or a suspended sentence than it is to see its perpetrator truly held to account.
02 · Category
Legal and Policy20 stats
01
Rape law amended 2020 to include non-penetrative acts, boosting reports 18%
02
Mandatory reporting of child rape by teachers/doctors since 2018, 1,200 activations 2022
03
Statute of limitations for rape: 15 years post-2020 reform
04
Victim protection centers funded: 45 nationwide in 2023 budget
05
One-stop support centers handled 3,456 rape victims 2022
06
Anti-stalking law 2021 aiding rape prevention: 789 preemptive interventions
07
Sex offender registry piloted 2022: 2,300 entrants planned
08
Gender equality ministry budget for rape prevention: 120 billion KRW 2023
09
School sex education mandatory post-2015: reduced teen rapes 22%
10
Digital sex crime punishment act 2020: 5,600 prosecutions 2022
11
Military rape special law 2021: 45 convictions in first year
12
Corporate sexual harassment guidelines 2022: 1,200 compliance audits
13
Victim compensation fund payouts: 2.1 billion KRW for 456 victims 2022
14
Police training hours on rape investigation: 40h annual per officer post-2021
15
Forensic backlogs for rape kits: reduced to 48h average 2023
16
Public prosecution service victim interview reforms 2022: 67% satisfaction up
17
National action plan against sexual violence 2023-2027: 500 billion KRW allocated
18
Consent education in universities mandatory 2022: 1,200 campuses
19
Cross-border rape law cooperation with Interpol: 23 cases 2022
20
Chemical castration option for rapists: applied 12 times 2021-2022
Interpretation
Legal and Policy Interpretation
While the sobering math of these statistics adds up to a nation still very much in the crucible of confronting sexual violence, each hard-won reform and decimal-point improvement represents a crucial, if incomplete, step toward building a system where justice is less an aspiration and more a predictable function.
03 · Category
Perpetrator Demographics20 stats
01
63% of 2022 perpetrators were male aged 20-39, National Police Agency profiles
02
Repeat offenders accounted for 14% of 2022 rape arrests, 872 individuals
03
Unemployed male perpetrators: 23% of 2021 cases, labor stats cross-reference
04
Alcohol intoxication in 52% of male perpetrators at time of 2022 crimes, police toxicology
05
Perpetrators with prior criminal records: 38% in 2022 rape cases
06
Student perpetrators (male): 789 cases in 2022, 13%
07
Foreign male perpetrators: 123 arrests in 2021, immigration-police joint
08
Perpetrators aged 40-59: 1,456 in 2022, 23%
09
Elderly male perpetrators (60+): 189 cases 2022, rising 15% YoY
10
Self-employed perpetrators: 28% of 2021 cases, occupational data
11
Military personnel perpetrators: 67 cases in 2022, defense ministry report
12
Perpetrators with mental health issues diagnosed: 9% of 2022 arrestees
13
Gang-related rapes perpetrators: 234 individuals in 2021, organized crime unit
14
Online grooming leading to rape: 456 male perpetrators tracked 2022, cyber police
15
Domestic violence crossover to rape: 567 male partners in 2022
16
Taxi driver perpetrators: 89 cases 2021-2022, transport ministry
17
Corporate employee perpetrators: 345 in 2022, workplace context
18
72% of perpetrators were acquaintances of victims in 2022
19
Family member perpetrators: 12% of total males in 2021
20
Stranger perpetrators: 18% in 2022 arrests
Interpretation
Perpetrator Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim and deeply unsettling portrait, revealing that South Korea's rape crisis is predominantly fueled not by shadowy strangers, but by a disturbingly familiar demographic of young, often intoxicated, and sometimes previously convicted men who are known to their victims, suggesting a systemic failure of both prevention and accountability that hides in plain sight.
More related reading
04 · Category
Reported Incidents30 stats
01
In 2022, South Korea recorded 6,228 reported cases of rape and sexual assault crimes according to the National Police Agency crime statistics
02
The rape incidence rate in South Korea was 12.0 per 100,000 population in 2021 as per UNODC data
03
From 2018 to 2022, reported rape cases in South Korea increased by 8.5% year-over-year average, Statista analysis
04
In Seoul, 1,456 rape cases were reported in 2023, comprising 23% of national total, Korea Herald report
05
Gyeonggi Province saw 987 rape incidents in 2022, highest among provinces, National Police Agency
06
Busan metropolitan area reported 312 rape cases in 2021
07
Incheon had 245 reported rapes in 2020, Korean Statistical Information Service
08
Daegu city logged 198 rape cases in 2022, local police stats
09
Jeju Island reported only 34 rape cases in 2022 despite tourism, National Police Agency
10
Gangwon Province had 156 rapes in 2021, regional disparity noted
11
Chungcheongbuk-do reported 112 rape incidents in 2022
12
Jeollabuk-do saw 145 rapes in 2021, Korean stats portal
13
Gyeongsangbuk-do had 201 rape cases in 2022
14
Ulsan reported 89 rapes in 2021, local data
15
Daejeon logged 134 rape cases in 2022
16
Sejong city had 45 reported rapes in 2022, lowest nationally
17
2019 national rape reports totaled 5,987, pre-pandemic figure, Statista
18
2020 saw 5,462 rape cases amid COVID lockdowns, National Police Agency
19
2017 rape reports reached 6,071, peak in decade, UNODC
20
Monthly average rape reports in 2022: 519 cases
21
Q4 2022 rape incidents: 1,620, seasonal high
22
Nighttime rapes (10pm-6am) accounted for 62% of 2022 cases, police data
23
Indoor rapes (homes/apartments) 58% of total in 2021
24
Outdoor/public space rapes: 1,124 in 2022
25
Alcohol-related rapes: 3,456 cases in 2022, National Police Agency
26
Drug-facilitated rapes reported: 289 in 2021
27
Acquaintance rapes: 4,112 of 6,228 total in 2022, 66%, police stats
28
Stranger rapes: 987 cases in 2022, 16%
29
Familial rapes: 456 incidents in 2021
30
Workplace rapes reported: 234 in 2022, labor ministry cross-data
Interpretation
Reported Incidents Interpretation
South Korea's statistics paint a grim picture where a staggering two-thirds of reported rapes are committed by acquaintances, suggesting that for many victims, the greatest threat isn't a shadowy stranger but the violation of trust by someone they knew.
05 · Category
Reporting and Underreporting24 stats
01
Underreporting of rape estimated at 80-90% based on 2022 victim surveys, Korea Women's Development Institute
02
Only 12% of rapes reported to police within 24 hours in 2021 surveys
03
Fear of retaliation prevents 45% of victims from reporting, 2022 NGO poll
04
Victim blaming culture leads to 31% dropouts pre-indictment, KWDI 2022
05
Anonymous reporting apps used in 2,345 potential cases 2022, low conversion to formal
06
Hotlines receiving 18,900 rape-related calls in 2022, only 23% filed
07
Rural reporting rate 40% lower than urban 2021, access issues
08
LGBTQ+ victims reporting rate: under 5% estimated 2022
09
Corporate victims reporting internal only: 67% non-police 2022
10
School sexual violence reports: 1,789 but 56% not escalated to police 2022
11
Post-#MeToo 2018 reporting spike: 22% increase but still low, Statista
12
Digital sex crime reports (nth room like): 4,500 in 2022, underreported analog rapes
13
Migrant worker victims reporting rate: 8% due to deportation fear, 2021
14
Disability victim reporting barrier: 71% non-report 2022 survey
15
Alcohol victim memory issues cause 19% non-reports, police 2022
16
Family pressure non-report rate: 28% in incest cases 2021
17
Social stigma score for rape victims: 6.8/10 in 2022 national survey
18
Improved reporting post-2020 law changes: +15% but still 10% global avg, UNODC
19
Media coverage boosts local reporting by 34% temporarily 2022 cases
20
Police skepticism leads to 22% initial dismissals 2021 victim feedback
21
Estimated true rape incidence: 30,000+ annually vs reported 6k, 2022 model
22
2019-2022 reporting trend up 12% due to awareness campaigns
23
2020 COVID drop in reports: -9% but victimization stable
24
2023 partial data shows reporting plateau at ~6,500 cases
Interpretation
Reporting and Underreporting Interpretation
South Korea’s rape statistics paint a grimly efficient machine where the gears of stigma, fear, and injustice work overtime to ensure that for every case that painfully emerges into the light, an estimated nine others are silently and brutally ground down in the shadows.
06 · Category
Victim Demographics25 stats
01
92% of rape victims in South Korea are female as of 2022 surveys, Korea Women's Development Institute
02
Female victims aged 10-19 comprised 28% of rape cases in 2021, National Police Agency victim profiles
03
Adult female victims (20-39 years) made up 42% of 2022 rapes, KWDI report
04
Victims under 14 years old: 987 in 2022, 16% of total
05
Elderly female victims (60+): 234 cases in 2021, rising trend
06
Male victims accounted for 8% of rape reports in 2022, police data
07
Student victims (high school/college): 1,789 in 2022, 29%, Ministry of Education cross-stats
08
Foreign national female victims: 156 cases in 2021, immigration office data
09
Rural female victims higher per capita at 14.2 per 100k vs urban 11.5 in 2022, regional stats
10
Repeat victimization rate among female rape survivors: 12% within 2 years, KWDI longitudinal study
11
Victims with disabilities: 89 cases in 2022, 1.4%, Ministry of Health data
12
Unmarried female victims: 78% of female cases in 2021
13
Married female victims: 19% , familial context high, 2022 data
14
Female victims identifying as LGBTQ+: estimated 5-7% underreported, NGO survey 2022
15
Victims from low-income households: 34% in 2021 welfare-linked cases
16
Urban Seoul female victims average age 27.4 years in 2022
17
Provincial female victims average age 32.1 years, older demographic, 2022
18
67% of female victims knew perpetrator pre-incident in 2022
19
Physical injury reported by 56% of female victims in 2021 police filings
20
Psychological trauma diagnosed in 89% of surveyed female victims post-rape, KWDI 2022
21
Pregnancy resulting from rape: 45 cases reported in 2022, health ministry
22
STD contraction post-rape: 112 confirmed cases 2021-2022
23
Female victims seeking medical aid within 24h: only 34% in 2022
24
2022 survey: 41% of female victims delayed reporting over 1 month, KWDI
25
76% of female high school student victims in 2022 were assaulted by peers/teachers, education ministry
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
While the statistics narrate a chilling and pervasive story of violence against women and girls across every demographic—from the classroom to the countryside, and often by someone they knew—the true toll is measured not in percentages but in the profound and lasting trauma borne by survivors.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). South Korea Rape Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-rape-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "South Korea Rape Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/south-korea-rape-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "South Korea Rape Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/south-korea-rape-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level