1 in 5 S. Korean women threatened with sexual extortion: study

An international study claims that one in five women in South Korea has faced threats of intimate images of them being released, the highest share among the 10 countries surveyed.

According to recently released research conducted by RMIT University based in Melbourne, Australia in partnership with Google, which surveyed 16,693 adults across 10 countries, including 1,641 from S. Korea, 19.1 percent of South Korean women reported being victims of sexual extortion.

The study defined sexual extortion, or sextortion, as a form of image-based blackmail that includes making threats to share intimate photos or videos of a victim unless they comply with the perpetrator’s behavioral or financial demands.

Among South Korean male respondents, 9.4 percent reported similar experiences, the second-lowest rate.

These figures place South Korea out of sync with the study's overall findings across surveyed countries, where typically men are targeted relatively more, reporting victimization at 15.7 percent, while women report 13.2 percent.

Across all 16,693 respondents, irrespective of gender, 14.5 percent reported being victims of sexual extortion, while 4.8 percent admitted to being perpetrators. The most common type of perpetrator was a former or current partner, but men were more likely than women to report being victimized by a colleague or caregiver.

Additionally, South Korea reported an unusually high percentage of female perpetrators, with 16.3 percent of women admitting to having committed acts of sexual extortion. This figure is markedly higher than the 1.1 percent to 5.3 percent range observed in other countries. Furthermore, 15.2 percent of Korean women reported having both victim and perpetrator experiences, the highest rate among all surveyed nations.

The study suggested that the widespread prevalence of image-based sexual abuse in South Korea could be a significant factor contributing to these distinct patterns.

"We can hypothesize that when individuals are threatened with the dissemination of their images, some might retaliate by threatening to share the perpetrator's images in return," lead researcher and RMIT professor Nicola Henry from RMIT’s Social Equity Research Centre, said.

Co-author Rebecca Umbach, who is a researcher at Google, stressed the lack of studies focusing on adult victims of sexual exploitation, noting, "Most research has centered on minors or specific groups, but this study shows that sexual exploitation among adults is common and underscores the need for more research and resources."

Umbach also stressed the need for joint efforts from technology companies and regulatory bodies to develop policies and protocols aimed at detecting, preventing and responding to sexual crimes, highlighting the shared responsibility in tackling this pervasive issue.