This guide covers the practical, legal side of what happens after a sexual assault (성폭력) is reported in Korea — where support exists, how the criminal process actually works, and what rights a victim has along the way. It is not a substitute for immediate safety or medical care, and if you are in immediate danger, call the police (112) first. Everything below is meant to help you understand the system once you're ready to engage with it, on whatever timeline that is for you.
1Where to Go First: Sunflower Centers (해바라기센터)
Korea operates a nationwide network of Sunflower Centers (해바라기센터, haebaragi senteo) — integrated one-stop centers, many attached to hospitals, that provide medical care, forensic evidence collection, psychological counseling, and connection to legal support in a single location, generally available 24 hours a day. Going to a Sunflower Center (해바라기센터) rather than an ordinary hospital or police station first has real practical advantages:
- Forensic evidence collection can be done by staff trained specifically for this, in a way that preserves the evidence's usability in a later criminal case, if you choose to pursue one
- Medical treatment, including care for physical injury and options such as emergency contraception or preventive treatment, is available on-site
- You are not required to report to police first — evidence can be collected and stored for a period even if you're not yet ready to decide whether to file a police report
- Interpretation support is available at many centers, or can be arranged, which matters enormously when trying to describe what happened accurately in a second language
Going to a Sunflower Center (해바라기센터) does not commit you to filing a police report — evidence can be collected and preserved first, while you decide, on your own timeline, whether to move forward with a criminal case.
2Reporting to Police: What the Process Actually Looks Like
Sexual crimes in Korea are prosecuted under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (성폭력범죄의 처벌 등에 관한 특례법). You can report by calling the police (112) directly, going to a police station, or reporting through a Sunflower Center (해바라기센터), which can coordinate the report on your behalf. A report typically leads to a formal victim statement (피해자 진술), taken by an investigator — increasingly by officers with specific training in sexual crime cases — and the investigation proceeds from there, independent of whether the victim and the accused know each other or have an ongoing relationship.
- Unlike some offenses, prosecution for most sexual crimes in Korea does not require the victim to personally press charges in the way older Korean law once required — the state generally prosecutes on its own initiative once a report is made
- You have the right to have a support person or victim's attorney (described below) present during questioning
- The statement can, in many cases, be recorded on video rather than requiring the victim to repeat their account multiple times in person, particularly for more vulnerable victims
3Your Right to a Victim's Attorney (피해자 국선변호사)
One of the most underused protections available to victims of sexual crimes in Korea is the right to a court-appointed victim's attorney (피해자 국선변호사) — legal representation provided free of charge, regardless of the victim's income or immigration status, specifically to protect the victim's interests throughout the investigation and any trial. This is separate from the prosecutor, who represents the state's interest in prosecuting the case, not the victim personally.
| What a Victim's Attorney (피해자 국선변호사) Does | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Accompanies you during police and prosecutor interviews | Reduces the pressure of navigating unfamiliar procedure alone, especially in a second language |
| Advises on what information you're required to disclose versus what's optional | Protects your privacy where the law allows discretion |
| Represents your interests in decisions about protective measures | Such as testifying via video link or having your identity shielded from the accused |
| Assists with a separate civil damages claim | The criminal case and a claim for compensation are legally distinct, and pursuing both often requires separate action |
Request a victim's attorney (피해자 국선변호사) as early as possible — ideally before your first formal statement, since that's when having someone advocate specifically for you tends to matter most.
4Evidence, Timing, and the Statute of Limitations (공소시효)
Timing affects both the strength of physical evidence and, in some cases, whether prosecution remains legally possible at all. Korean law has extended or eliminated the statute of limitations (공소시효) for certain categories of sexual crime — particularly offenses against minors and cases involving DNA evidence — but ordinary limitation periods still apply to others, and they vary by the specific offense and its severity. This is not something to assess on your own from general information online; whether a given case still falls within the applicable window is a question worth getting specific legal advice on, especially if meaningful time has already passed.
Preserving evidence early — messages, physical evidence collected through a Sunflower Center (해바라기센터), any witnesses — protects your options later even if you're not ready to report immediately.
5Protections During the Investigation
- Interpretation — you have the right to an interpreter during police and prosecutor interviews if your Korean isn't sufficient to give a full and accurate statement; do not proceed with an interview you don't fully understand
- Statement by video link or written testimony — for certain victims, particularly minors or those with heightened vulnerability, courts can arrange alternatives to testifying in person in front of the accused
- Identity protection — victim identifying information is generally protected from disclosure in case records and media reporting under Korean law
- No obligation to confront the accused directly — the process is generally structured to minimize direct contact between victim and accused during the investigation
→A Note for Spanish- and Portuguese-Speaking Victims
Navigating a sexual assault (성폭력) case through Korean police, a Sunflower Center (해바라기센터), and the court system is difficult enough in your own language. I work with Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking victims to explain each step as it happens, help arrange the court-appointed victim's attorney (피해자 국선변호사) process, and pursue a separate civil damages claim where appropriate — in a language you're actually comfortable with, at whatever pace you're ready to move.