"I'll Come Get You Soon"... The Chilling Prison Threat from a Stalking Offender Sentenced to Prison

[Financial News] Public outrage is growing after it was revealed that a stalking offender, who is serving a prison sentence, sent a threatening letter to the victim from behind bars. The Ministry of Justice said it would immediately designate the offender as a subject of letter screening and move to revise the law to fundamentally prevent criminals from inflicting secondary harm from prison.
On the 30th, a stalking victim identified as A disclosed on her social networking service (SNS) a letter she received from B, the offender who was sentenced to one year in prison and is currently serving time for stalking her.
According to the material A made public, B enclosed a handwritten letter along with what appeared to be a dandelion flower and a magpie feather. On the back of the drawing was the threatening phrase, "Gift. See you soon^^ I'll come get you," and inside the envelope was another ominous line: "What apology means is what you say when there is nothing you can do."
At the end of the letter, B wrote, "I never had any feelings of love. Please think of it as simply going because I was there," but then added, "I never held on to you, so letting go of a bond is not such a difficult thing," in a rambling and incoherent manner.
A said, "The stalking offender knows the burial sites of my parents and my younger sibling, so not only my safety but my family's safety is also under threat," adding, "Since receiving the letter, I have not been able to sleep properly and I am suffering severe mental distress."

After the story was reported in the media, Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho shared the article on his social media account on the 30th and promised immediate action and institutional reform.
Jung said, "First, in the reported case, we immediately designated the offender as a 'subject of letter screening' to block further harm," but added that "this is only a response to an individual case, so it cannot be a fundamental solution."
He also cited a recent case involving reporter Kwak A-ram, the author of "Not_found," who suffered similar harm from a stalking offender serving time. He expressed concern that "cases in which stalking offenders in prison send letters to victims to inflict secondary harm or issue threats continue to be reported."
He went on to stress that "stalking is a crime with a high risk of recidivism, and if victims and offenders are not fundamentally separated, there is a serious risk that punishment will be followed by further retaliation. The same is true for domestic violence and sex crimes." He added, "From immediate administrative measures to legal revisions, we will actively prepare ways to protect victims from secondary harm such as prison letters. I ask the National Assembly to work with us and pool its wisdom."
Meanwhile, stalking-related victimization has been rising sharply every year. According to police statistics, the number of stalking reports increased steadily from 31,824 cases in 2023 to 44,687 last year. To respond to the increasingly serious problem, investigative authorities are introducing measures such as the swift separation of offenders and victims, as well as stronger early-stage responses.


moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter