“An Ex-Girlfriend Opened a Shop Right Outside the House” ... A Male Stalking Victim’s Plea

[Financial News] A man in his 30s who had taken legal action over his ex-girlfriend’s persistent stalking says he is once again living in fear after she opened a shop right in front of his home. He says it is so close that he can see the shop from his windows, and has asked her to move it elsewhere.
According to JTBC’s “Scandal Supervisor,” which aired on the 9th, a man in his 30s, identified only as A, began dating a woman who had recently joined the classical guitar ensemble club he had belonged to for a long time.
But the girlfriend became suspicious whenever A was in contact with female acquaintances, and the two often argued about it. Eventually, the relationship ended after the girlfriend was the first to announce that she wanted to break up.
The night she announced the breakup, the ex-girlfriend sneaked into A’s home while he was asleep. She reportedly used the front door’s passcode, which she had learned while they were dating. When A woke up, he was startled to find his ex-girlfriend standing in front of him.
The ex-girlfriend reportedly continued trying to contact A even after a restraining order was issued, including by showing up at the rehearsal space of the club he attended and sending him text messages. Unable to endure the ongoing harassment, A also left the club, where he had been active for a long time.
A eventually took legal action, and his ex-girlfriend was sentenced to a fine at the first trial on stalking charges.
Later, while returning home, A saw his ex-girlfriend at a newly opened shop near his home. The shop was so close that he could see inside it from his home’s windows. A said he felt uneasy knowing that the ex-girlfriend who had stalked him was running a business right in front of his home.
“I’ve tried to forget as much as I can, but I’m anxious every moment for fear of running into the perpetrator outside my home,” A said. “I don’t want to prevent her from earning a living, but I’d like her to move the shop somewhere else.”
Attorney Son Su-ho said it might be difficult to hold A’s ex-girlfriend legally responsible solely for running a shop near his home. “Since she hasn’t violated any requirements, such as the restraining order, it may be difficult to say that this is legally problematic,” he said, while advising, “Even now, he should take thorough precautions, such as changing his home’s passcode.”
Psychology Professor Park Sang-hee also stressed the importance of avoiding direct contact with the ex-girlfriend. “This woman has a very strong need for control and possessiveness, so he should avoid direct communication as much as possible and consider taking legal action,” he said.
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter