KBS1 ‘Tracking 60 Minutes’ Episode 1452

At 10 p.m. on the 17th, KBS1 ‘Tracking 60 Minutes’ Episode 1452 will air ‘The Cost of Reporting, Retaliatory Crime’.

Crimes committed against those who cooperate in investigations or trials or report criminal facts, so-called ‘retaliatory crimes’, are surging. Retaliatory crime is a grave offense that shakes the foundations of the criminal justice system and differs in nature and meaning from ordinary crimes. This is why it is defined as a special crime and handled more strictly. <Tracking 60 Minutes> highlights those living under the threat of retaliatory crime and examines the limits of current safeguards.

■ The cost of assisting an investigation, the start of a fugitive life

In 2023, a drug crime scene involving the cultivation and use of cannabis was uncovered in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Im Dong-ho (alias) played a decisive role in exposing this crime, which had been carried out covertly in a party-room format.

Mr. Im, who was acquainted with the ringleader, cooperated at the request of the police to pinpoint the address of the crime scene and secure evidence. At the time, the investigator persuaded the hesitant Mr. Im by promising strict anonymity and protection. However, the price of trusting the police and cooperating was retaliatory threats from the ringleader in the drug case. While incarcerated, the reported suspect sent Mr. Im a letter vowing retaliation. The names of the reporter and the cooperating witness were exposed to the suspect during the course of the trial. The suspect is scheduled for release this October. Mr. Im says his fear is growing. He has moved residences multiple times and continues to live in hiding.

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Under current law, the Act on the Protection of Specific Crime Informants, etc. protects reporters from retaliatory crime. Those who report crimes with major social impact, such as violent offenses like murder and robbery, as well as drugs and human trafficking, and even their associates, are included as protected persons. The police can provide personal protection, non-disclosure of personal details, and the use of aliases. Nevertheless, despite these institutional measures, Mr. Im was exposed to the risk of retaliation.

“The police persuaded me for days, saying they would protect me, so I finally helped, but far from anonymity, he even found out that I tipped them off and helped with the arrest. When he gets out, of course he will come for me first.” - From an interview with Im Dong-ho (alias)

■ Six restraining orders, unending fear

Bae Su-jin (alias) has been suffering from stalking and retaliatory threats for two years. About a decade ago, she ran into her former coworker, Mr. Heo, at a restaurant. Mr. Heo asked her to introduce him to a job. After she refused, he turned aggressive. He came to her workplace and caused a disturbance. She filed a defamation complaint over the workplace disturbance, and a judgment awarded her 60 million won in damages.

After the trial, the harassment by Mr. Heo grew worse. Under constant approaches, she changed jobs three times, and she is currently unemployed. A total of six restraining orders have been issued against Mr. Heo. However, due to the lukewarm police response and ongoing threats, she says she cannot feel safe.

“No matter how many times I report him, the police do nothing substantial. What good is a 100-meter no-approach order? His workplace is within 200 meters.”

“From stress I lost all my lower teeth, and I am on psychiatric medication. I cannot even leave the house, and I feel so sorry for my children. Will this only end if I die; is that what they want? Those thoughts cross my mind, too.” - From an interview with Bae Su-jin (alias)

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■ Retaliation foretold, protection that does not work

Retaliatory crime is an act that undermines trust in the criminal justice system. It chills reporting and testimony and, further, damages the foundations of national order. Experts say signs often appear before retaliatory crime escalates into a major incident. Threatening statements like intimidation, surveillance of the target, and violations of restraining ordersbehaviors that recur persistently and obsessivelyare examples. The key is to detect these behavioral characteristics and warning signs in advance and prevent escalation into more serious crimes.

However, experts point out that current systems have low effectiveness. Institutional and perceptual changes are urgently needed to block additional offenses at the precursor stages of crimestalking, intimidation, and order violations.

“Among restraining orders imposed by courts on offenders, the most severe measuredetentionhas a court approval rate in the 30% range. That means two out of three are blocked at the court stage.”

-“The systems exist, but due to complacent attitudes among frontline practitioners, they often are not even applied. Even within the bounds already provided, authorities should actively exercise discretion to move in a direction that protects victims”- From an interview with Heo Min-suk, Legislative Investigator at the National Assembly Research Service

Episode 1452 of ‘Tracking 60 Minutes’, ‘The Cost of Reporting, Retaliatory Crime’, which covers the reality of retaliatory crimes targeting crime victims, informants, and witnesses and the blind spots in the systems meant to protect them, can be seen on KBS1at 10 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2026.

KBS1 ‘Tracking 60 Minutes’