Article 1 (Purpose) The purposes of this Ordinance are to set forth the basic matters concerning Seoul Metropolitan City’s prevention of violence against women and protection of victims under Article 4 of the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence Against Women, Article 4 of the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims, Article 3 of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act, and Article 3 of the Act on the Prevention of Commercial Sex Acts and the Protection of Victims, and to comprehensively implement the related policies.

Same as left

Article 2 (Definition) The definitions of the terms used in this Ordinance shall be as follows: <Amended on May. 20, 2024>
1. "Violence against women" refers to the definition provided in subparagraph 1 of Article 3 of the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence against Women.
2. "Domestic violence" refers to the definition provided in subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims.
3. "Dating violence" refers to verbal, emotional, economic, sexual, or physical violence arising in a current or former romantic relationship.
4. "Sexual violence" refers to the definition provided in subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act.
5. "Commercial sex acts" refers to the definition provided in subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Act on the Prevention of Commercial Sex Acts and the Protection of Victims.
6. "Victim" refers to a person who is a victim of violence against women, her spouse (including de facto spouse), direct family members, and siblings.
7. "Secondary victimization" refers to the definition provided in subparagraph 3 of Article 3 of the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence against Women.

Same as left

Article 3 (Responsibilities of Mayor) The Mayor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government (hereinafter referred to as the Mayor) shall take the following measures for the prevention of violence against, and the protection of, women and the provision of protection and support to the victims:
1. Establishment and operation of systems for reporting acts of violence against women;
2. Investigation, research, education and public relations on the prevention and preemption of acts of violence against women;
3. Establishment and operation of protection facilities for victims and provision of other support services for victims;
4. Establishment and operation of a system of cooperation between the relevant agencies to facilitate efforts to protect and support victims;
5. Maintenance of the relevant statutes and regulations, and formulation, implementation, and evaluation of various policies for the prevention and preemption of acts of violence against women, and the provision of protection and support to victims.
The Mayor shall take the necessary budgetary measures to fulfill the responsibilities under paragraph (1).
The Mayor shall designate and deploy the organizations and public officials responsible for preventing and preempting acts of violence against women and for providing protection and support to victims.
(4) The Mayor shall foster and support counseling centers and protective facilities for victims of violence against women that are established and operated under the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence Against Women, the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act, the Act on the Prevention of Commercial Sex Acts and the Protection of Victims, and the Act on the Prevention of Stalking and the Protection of Victims, such as by subsidizing the related costs and expenses. <Amended on Jul. 14, 2025>

Article 4 (Establishment of a System of Cooperation between Relevant Agencies) To ensure the efficient prevention of violence against women and the protection and treatment of victims, the Mayor shall establish a system of cooperation between the relevant agencies, such as facilities offering support to victims of violence against women, medical institutions, educational institutions, and legal and investigative agencies.

Article 5 (Formulation of Implementation Plans) (1) Each year the Mayor shall formulate the Annual Implementation Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Policies for Protecting and Supporting Victims (hereinafter referred to as the “Implementation Plan”) under Article 8 of the Framework Act on the Prevention of Violence Against Women, which Implementation Plan shall include the following:
1. Policies necessary for the prevention and preemption of violence against women and the protection of victims;
2. Matters concerning education and public communications on the prevention of violence against women;
3. Matters concerning the establishment of a system of cooperation for the prevention of violence against women and the protection of victims;
4. Matters concerning the expansion of facilities and equipment for the prevention of violence against women and the protection of victims;
5. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor in connection with the prevention and preemption of violence against women and the protection of victims.
(2) The Mayor may request the cooperation of public institutions and/or other corporations and organizations if necessary for the formulation and implementation of the Implementation Plans.
(3) The Mayor shall analyze and evaluate the performance of each annual Implementation Plan and consider and reflect the results in the next year’s Implementation Plan.

Article 6 (Establishment of the Committee for the Prevention of Violence against Women) (1) The Mayor shall establish and operate the Seoul Metropolitan City Committee for the Prevention of Violence against Women (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”) to implement programs for the prevention and preemption of violence against women and policies for protecting the victims thereof.
(2) The Committee shall deliberate and advise on the following matters:
1. Matters concerning the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of Implementation Plans;
2. Matters concerning various programs to establish regional networks for the prevention of violence against women and the protection and support of victims;
3. Matters concerning regional education and public communications on the prevention of violence against women and the protection and support of victims;
4. Matters concerning the emergency rescue of women in crisis and joint responses;
5. Matters concerning the sharing of information between the relevant agencies and the establishment of a system of cooperation between them;
6. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor for the prevention of violence against women and the protection and support of victims.

Article 7 (Composition of the Committee) (1) The Committee shall be composed of 20 or fewer members including the Chairperson; and the Vice-Mayor I for Administrative Affairs shall serve as the Chairperson: Provided, however, that the Chairperson’s duties may be delegated to the head of the Women & Family Office in the event of an unavoidable reason for doing so. Furthermore, one of the private sector members may be elected by and from among the members as the Joint Chairperson. <Amended on Jan. 3, 2025>
(2) There shall be a Vice-Chairperson to assist the Chairperson, and the Vice-Chairperson shall be elected by and from among the members.
(3) The members shall be commissioned by the Mayor from among the representatives of the following institutions or facilities concerning the protection of women, or from among persons delegated by such representatives, provided that the members of one gender shall not exceed 6/10 of the commissioned members: <Amended on Dec. 30, 2022>
1. Seoul Metropolitan Council;
2. Institutions or facilities involved in the prevention of violence against women and the protection of victims;
3. Emergency rescue or medical institutions dedicated to the emergency rescue and treatment of victims of violence against women;
4. Educational institutions such as elementary, middle, and high schools, and the Office of Education;
5. Police and judiciary-related agencies such as the police, Prosecutor’s Office, law courts, Korea Legal Aid Corporation, and probation offices;
6. Other institutions or facilities deemed necessary by the Mayor with knowledge and experience of violence against women.
(4) Deleted<Dec. 30, 2022>
(5) Deleted<Dec. 30, 2022>

Article 8 (Members’ Term of office) (1) A member’s term of office shall be two years, and may be renewed only twice: Provided, however, that the term of office of a member who is a public official shall be the period spent in that office.
(2) The term of office of a member newly commissioned due to a cause such as the resignation of a member who is a non-public official shall be the remainder of the predecessor’s term of office.
[This Article Added on Dec. 30, 2022]

Article 9 (Decommissioning Members) The Mayor may decommission a member before the expiry of their term of office under Article 8-2 of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Various Committees.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Jul. 24, 2023]

Article 10 (Chairperson’s Duties) (1) The Chairperson shall represent the Committee and oversee the work of the Committee.
(2) If the Chairperson is unable to perform his or her duties due to an unavoidable cause, the Vice-Chairperson shall perform the Chairperson’s duties by proxy; if neither the Chairperson nor the Vice-Chairperson is able to perform the Chairperson’s duties due to an unavoidable cause, a Committee member designated in advance by the Chairperson shall perform the Chairperson’s duties. <Amended on Mar. 15, 2024>
[This Article Added on Dec. 30, 2022]

Article 11 (Meetings) (1) Meetings of the Committee shall be convened at least twice yearly when the Chairperson deems it necessary or at the request of 1/3 or more of the members. <Amended on Dec. 30, 2022>
(2) Meetings of the Committee shall be opened by the attendance of the majority of the members on the register, and each resolution shall be made by the affirmative vote of the majority of the attending members. <Added on Dec. 30, 2022>
[Moved from Article 8; the former Article 11 has been moved to Article 14 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 12 (Secretary) (1) The Committee shall have a secretary to handle its affairs.
(2) The secretary shall be the Gender Equality Officer in charge of work related to the prevention of violence against women and the protection of victims. <Amended on Sep. 30, 2021; Dec. 30, 2022>
(3) The secretary shall handle the affairs of the Committee at the Chairperson’s request, and prepare and retain the minutes of the meetings.
[Moved from Article 9; the former Article 12 has been moved to Article 15 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 13 (Member Compensation) Members who attend meetings of the Committee may be paid compensation within the available budget: Provided, however, that the same shall not apply where a public official member attends a meeting in direct connection with his or her duties. <Amended on Mar. 15, 2024>
[Moved from Article 10; the former Article 13 is moved to Article 16 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 14 (Subsidization of Program Costs) The Mayor may, within the available budget, subsidize the program costs of the relevant institutions and facilities necessary for the prevention of violence against women and the protection of victims.
[Moved from Article 11; the former Article 14 has been moved to Article 17 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 14-2 (Support for Victims of Commercial Sex Acts) (1) The Mayor may, within the available budget, implement the following support programs to protect the human rights of victims of commercial sex acts and to support their self-reliance and self-sufficiency under Article 2 (1) 4 of the Act on Punishment of the Arrangement of Commercial Sex Acts:
1. Livelihood stability support programs to ensure maintenance of victims’ livelihood, etc.;
2. Housing relocation support programs to secure housing for victims;
3. Vocational training support programs for the social rehabilitation of victims, etc.;
4. Other support programs deemed necessary by the Mayor.
(2) The subjects of the programs under subparagraphs 1 to 3 of paragraph (1) shall be limited to victims of commercial sex acts in areas where such acts are concentrated, including Yeongdeungpo-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu; Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu; and Cheonho-dong, Gangdong-gu; where businesses operated for the purpose of commercial sex acts are clustered within the jurisdiction of Seoul Metropolitan City; whereas any persons receiving the same support under other laws and ordinances shall not receive any support under such programs.
[This Article Added on Jan. 7, 2021]
[Moved from Article 11-2 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 14-3 (Support for Victims of Domestic Violence) The Mayor may support the following programs for the appropriate protection of victims and the promotion of their self-reliance under subparagraph 3 of Article 2 of the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims:
1. Counseling support programs and psychiatric treatment programs;
2. Rent support programs to secure housing;
3. Self-reliance subsidy necessary for self-reliance;
4. Vocational training and employment support programs for social adjustment in stages;
5. Childrearing and domestic labor support services for the promotion of family relationships;
6. Education and public relations programs aimed at raising awareness of domestic violence;
7. Other support programs deemed necessary by the Mayor.
[This Article Added on Dec. 30, 2022]

Article 14-4 (Support for Victims of Dating Violence) The Mayor may support the following programs for the appropriate protection and safety of victims of dating violence:
1. Prevention of identity exposure and protection and support programs to ensure the safety of victims;
2. Medical and counselling support programs and psychiatric treatment programs;
3. Legal counsel support programs;
4. Support for relevant agencies’ requests for emergency medical measures and protection;
5. Support for investigation, research, and the development of policies for the prevention of dating violence;
6. Education and public relations programs aimed at raising awareness of dating violence;
7. Other support programs deemed necessary by the Mayor.
[This Article Newly Inserted on May 20, 2024]

Article 15 (Investigation of the State of Violence Against Women) (1) The Mayor shall conduct an investigation of the state of violence against women and publish the results every three years in order to identify the current state of violence against women and utilize the findings in the formulation of policies for preventing and preempting violence against women.
(2) The Mayor may conduct investigations of the state of violence against women by commissioning a research institute, corporation or organization with the expertise and equipment required for such investigations.
(3) Investigations of the state of violence against women shall include the following matters:
1. Matters concerning the general characteristics of victims, such as their gender, age, education, marriage status, and employment status;
2. Matters concerning the factors that contribute to the perpetration of acts of violence against women, types of occurrence, types of violence, etc.;
3. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor in connection with violence against women.
(4) The details and results of such investigations shall be reported to the Committee, and the results shall be considered and reflected in the formulation of policies.
[Moved from Article 12; the former Article 15 has been moved to Article 18 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 16 (Prevention Education) (1) The Mayor shall conduct, at the least, annual education on the prevention of violence against women under the governing laws.
(2) If it is infeasible to conduct education as provided under paragraph (1), the Mayor may commission such education to a head of a related agency.
(3) The education plan under paragraph (1) shall include the following matters:
1. Matters concerning the actual conditions of violence against women and the prevention of such violence;
2. Laws governing violence against women.
(4) The Mayor may train and support lecturers capable of providing education on the prevention of violence against women, and the conduct and performance of such education shall be considered in formulating the next year’s plan.
[Moved from Article 13; the former Article 16 is moved to Article 19 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 17 (Prevention of Digital Sexual Violence, Etc.) The Mayor may provide administrative and financial support for the prevention of and support for victims of digital sexual violence, which refers to such acts as the filming of another person’s body without that person’s consent, the distribution or threat of distribution of such films, or the storage and/or exhibition thereof through digital devices or other types of information and communication technology, and infringements of another person’s sexual autonomy and right to dignity in cyberspace.
[Moved from Article 14; the former Article 17 has been moved to Article 20 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 18 (Prevention of Secondary Victimization) The Mayor shall prepare countermeasures necessary for the prevention of secondary victimization, such as guidelines on the prevention of secondary victimization and training of the relevant workers, and shall take measures to minimize the impact of any secondary victimization.
[Moved from Article 15; the former Article 18 has been moved to Article 21 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 19 (Monitoring Policies for Women) The Mayor shall conduct at least annual monitoring for the implementation and evaluation of the related laws and policies for the prevention of violence against women, and may report the results to the Committee and prepare procedures for the handling thereof.
[Moved from Article 16; the former Article 19 has been moved to Article 22 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 20 (Provision of Related Information) (1) The Mayor shall retain support manuals, guidelines and other information on the prevention of violence against women and support for victims for victims of violence against women, and shall supply the same to police, fire stations, medical institutions, schools, community centers, welfare centers, related businesses, etc.
(2) The citizens of Seoul Metropolitan City (hereinafter referred to as "citizens") shall, if necessary, request information concerning the prevention and preemption of violence against women and the protection of victims on the basis of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Disclosure of Administrative Information for Open Municipal Administration.<Amended on Jan. 7, 2021>
[Moved from Article 17; the former Article 20 has been moved to Article 23 <Dec. 30, 2022>]







Deleted<Mar. 15, 2024>






Deleted<Mar. 15, 2024>
Deleted<Mar. 15, 2024>






Deleted<Mar. 15, 2024>

Article 21 (Establishment of Seoul Workplace Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Prevention Center) The Mayor may establish the Seoul Workplace Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Prevention Center (hereinafter referred to as the Center) to prevent violence and support victims in the blind spot of the protection system of sexual harassment and sexual violence by creating an environment where people can work safely from sexual harassment and sexual violence.
[Moved from Article 18; previous Article 21 moved to Article 24 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 22 (Functions of Center) 1. Establishment and implementation of sexual harassment and sexual violence blind spot prevention plan;
2. Sexual harassment and sexual violence prevention education at small business places and consulting services for improvement of organizational cultures;
3. Matters concerning cooperation and support of agencies supporting victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence;
4. Establishment and sharing of knowledge and information systems related to sexual harassment and sexual violence;
5. Public relations and campaigns to improve civic awareness and organizational cultures regarding sexual harassment and sexual violence;
6. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence and support victims.
[Moved from Article 19; previous Article 22 moved to Article 25 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 23 (Assistance with Operating Expenses and Settlement of Accounts) (2) The head of the Center upon receipt of financial support under paragraph (1) shall settle accounts of expenses, etc. assisted with and submit a report thereon to the Mayor.
[Moved from Article 20 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 24 (Guidance and Inspection) [Moved from Article 21 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Article 25 (Enforcement Rule) Matters necessary for the enforcement of this Ordinance shall be determined by the enforcement rules of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
[Moved from Article 22 <Dec. 30, 2022>]

Addendum <No. 9737, Jul. 14, 2025>
This Ordinance shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.