Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr
Foreign crime victims ineligible for compensation
By Lee Kyung-min
Park Chun-bong, the suspect in the “torso murder” in Suwon, Gyeoggi Province, is taken to the prosecution’s office for interrogation Friday. / Yonhap
By Lee Kyung-min
The family of a Korean-Chinese woman recently killed ― allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, also a Korean-Chinese ― in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is not eligible for government compensation for crime victims and their families because she was a foreigner.
Under the law, only Korean rape and murder victims, or their families, are entitled to such compensation ― up to 68 million won ($61,000).
Some lawmakers have proposed bills to make foreigners eligible, but the National Assembly is dragging its feet in starting a debate on the issue.
Unlike murder suspect Park Chun-bong, who stayed illegally after entering the country on a fake visa, the victim, surnamed Kim, was here on an H-2 work visa, valid for one year, according to police.
But Kim’s bereaved family will not get any compensation from the government.
The compensation program is based on the Crime Victim Protection Act, which promotes the welfare of victims and their families who suffer death or injury from criminal conduct.
Although Article 23 under the Act includes protection for foreigners, the effect is toothless because of its “reciprocity-based agreement” clause.
Unless similar assistance is guaranteed and reciprocated from the victim’s home country, Korea is not legally bound to provide foreigners from that country with the same protection guaranteed to Koreans.
In 2010, the National Assembly moved to amend the law to extend the same level of protection for foreigners legally staying here, regardless of the clause.
The move came after the husband of a Vietnamese immigrant woman stabbed her to death in Busan.
Driven by public sympathy for such victims, there was a general consensus at the time that legal protection was the first step to accepting multiculturalism.
Introducing a bill, Saenuri Party lawmaker Park Sung-ho said, “More than a million foreigners are staying here in Korea. We should not limit the protection of law trapped by the reciprocity clause, which falls far behind what Korea aspires to be.”
However, after two years, the bill has been pushed to the back burner.
Gumi University International Cooperation Center Director Seo Young-gil said the government and the National Assembly were “backpedaling on multiculturalism.” He said the government was failing to provide due protection for foreigners.
“The government should protect foreigners staying here legally with visas, including the Suwon victim and her family,” Seo said. “They are here as the result of the government granting a visa. Of course, the government should guarantee their right to safety.”
He also called for a government measure to look after the neediest people.
“The government could support the victims first and secure the budget later,” he said. “Those victims are in dire economic straits once they lose their jobs.”
He said the pending amendment plan should be passed as soon as possible.
“The government not protecting people with legal status citing reciprocity falls far short of global standards,” he said.