Shelters for the victims of domestic violence
Shelters
- A victim of domestic violence is entitled to receive the following aid from the shelter he/she is entitled to use as a temporary shelter from domestic violence (main text of Article 8 (1) of the “Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims”):
1. Lodging
2. Counseling and treatment for psychological stability and social adaptation
3. Medical support, including transfer, etc., to medical institutions for disease treatment and healthcare (including physical examinations within one month from the time a victim, etc. is admitted into a shelter)
4. Support and link of services necessary for investigation and trial process
5. Requests for necessary cooperation and support from legal aid institutions, etc.
6. Education on self-reliance and self-support and employment information
7. Matters entrusted to a shelter under other laws and regulations
8. Other services necessary for the protection of a victim, etc.
※ Family members accompanied by a victim may be provided with support other than lodging and a long-term shelter may not provide any of the services under subparagraphs 1 through 5 (excluding services of providing dwelling) (proviso to Article 8 (1) of the “Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims”).
Admission to shelters
- A person subject to admission to a shelter falls under any of the following subparagraphs (Article 7-3 (1) of the “Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims”):
· A person who wishes to be admitted or consents to be admitted to a shelter
· An intellectually disabled person, mentally disabled person, or any other disabled person whose mental capacity is impaired whose admission has been consented by his/her guardian who is not the domestic violence offender
· An intellectually disabled person, mentally disabled person, or any other disabled person whose mental capacity is impaired who needs to be admitted as a result of counseling by a counselor, but is deemed inappropriate to receive consent for admission
※ Victims with a boy over 10 years old (first priority) who cannot be admitted to a general shelter or victims with a child (second priority) or victims of domestic violence (third priority) are admissible to a family shelter (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
※ Anyone who wishes to be admitted to a protective center for domestic violence is advised to call the Hotline for Women (☎ 1366) or a counseling center in relation to domestic violence by region. Please go to the website of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (http://www.mogef.go.kr/) to search the contact details of domestic violence counseling centers in the facility information on the prevention of domestic violence.
Duration of protection in the shelter
- If a victim is not admitted to a shelter, he/she may stay up to 3 days (may be extended to a maximum of 7days) (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
- The duration for a victim to stay in the shelter varies as follows depending on the type of each shelter (Article 7-2 of the “Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims” and Article 7 of the “Enforcement Rule of the Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims”):
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Type
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Duration of protection
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Note
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Short-term shelters
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Within 6 months(up to 1 year)
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If a victim requires psychological stability, is undergoing treatment, or any other reasons, the duration may be extended on two occasions by 3 months each time
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Long-term shelters
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Within 2 years
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Unless under inevitable circumstances, a victim may be evicted if he/she fails to find a job within 6 months after being admitted to the facility
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Shelters for foreign nationals
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Within 2 years
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* Eligibility: Victims of foreign nationality
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Shelters for the disabled
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Within 2 years
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* Eligibility: Victims who are disabled
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Restrictions on the access and issuance of resident registration card
Restrictions on the access of resident registration card or the issuance of a certified copy or an abstract
- A victim may request the head of the competent Si/Gun/Gu (excluding the head of a special city or metropolitan city and including the head of the special autonomous city) to restrict the inspection of the resident registration record card of the principal, his/her household members, or his/her lineal ascendants or descendants, or the issuance of a certified copy or abstract thereof by designating personssubject to such restriction among the spouse, lineal relative by blood, of the head of household, the lineal relative by blood of the spouse or the spouse of the lineal relative by blood (Article 29(6) of the Resident Registration Act).
- If a victim intends to restrict access to the above resident registration record card or the issuance of a certified copy or an abstract, he/she must present a certificate of identity (including a mobile resident registration card) to the head of Si/Gun/Gu and submit the application for the restriction on access of resident registration card or the issuance of a certified copy or an abstract and any of the following evidentiary documents (Article 47-2(1) of 「Enforcement Decree of the Resident Registration Act」 and the main text of Article 13-2 and attached Form 14-3 of 「Enforcement Rule of the Resident Registration Act」):
1. A written confirmation of counseling issued by the head of a domestic violence-related counseling center or the head of an emergency hotline
2. A written confirmation of admission to a protective facility for victims of domestic violence issued by the head of the protective facility for victims of domestic violence or a written confirmation of admission to an emergency shelter issued by the head of an emergency hotline
3. A written confirmation of counseling or admission issued by the head of a protective facility
4. A written confirmation of counseling issued by the head of a counseling center for sexual violence or the head of an integrated support center for victims of sexual violence
5. A written confirmation of admission to a protective facility for sexual violence victims issued by the head of a protective facility for sexual violence victims
6. A written confirmation of admission to a welfare facility for temporary support issued by the head of the welfare facility for temporary support
7. A written confirmation of counseling issued by the head of a local institution specialized in the protection of senior citizens
8. A written confirmation of admission to a shelter for the elderly affected by abuse issued by the head of the shelter for the elderly affected by abuse
9. A notice of on the determination to modify the resident registration number for victims
10. Certificate of child victim protection issued by the Special Metropolitan Mayor, Metropolitan Mayor, Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Provincial Governor, Special Self-Governing Province Governor, or the Mayor, County Governor, or District Head
11. A certified copy or extract of the decision on a temporary measure, protective disposition, temporary protection order, or child victim protection order
12. A certified copy or extract of the decision on a temporary measure, temporary protection order, or victim protection order
13. A notice on the result of disposition of a case subject to complaint or charge
14. A certificate of results of the case disposition
15. A notice on the investigation results
16. A copy of the finalized court ruling
- When submitting documents specified in 3., a medical certificate issued by a medical institution or a document demonstrating the fact of damage sustained by domestic violence issued by a police station must also be submitted (proviso to Article 13-2 of 「Enforcement Rule of the Resident Registration Act」).
※ When it is possible to access resident registration cards or issue abridged/certified copies
The head of the institution that allows access to or issues abridged/certified copies can permit restricted subjects access to resident registration cards or issue abridged/certified copies in cases that fall under any of the following reasons (Article 29(9) of 「Resident Registration Act」 and Article 47-2(2) of the 「Enforcement Decree of the Resident Registration Act」:
1. When the person who applied for the restriction of access to resident registration cards or issuance of abridged/certified copies requests the head of Si/Gun/Gu to refrain from taking any such restriction (hereinafter referred to as “restriction“) against the restricted subject;
2. When a household member or lineal ascendant/descendant [when the household member or lineal ascendent/descendant is a minor, it refers to the legal representative (person having parental authority or guardian) who is not a restricted subject] requests the head of Si/Gun/Gu to refrain from taking restriction against themselves. In this case, the applicant should obtain the consent of all household members and lineal ascendents/descendants whose places of resident registration are the same as that of the applicant;
3. When the restricted subject has to submit the abridged/certified copy of the applicant, and the restricted subject applies to the head of Si/Gun/Gu to refrain from taking restriction, attaching materials that vindicate this claim. In this case, the head of Si/Gun/Gu receiving the application should obtain the consent of all household members and lineal ascendents/descendants whose places of resident registration were the same as that of the applicant at the time of the applicant’s death.
Co-living families
Co-living families
- The government provides a residential space where victims of violence, such as domestic violence and sexual violence, and their family members can live together to support their self-reliance and create conditions for their social adjustment (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
Selection of admissible tenants
- Any victim to whom any of the following reasons apply shall be eligible for priority of admission (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
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Classification
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Eligibility
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Priority of admission
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A person who has been recommended by the head of a protective facility, the head of a domestic violence counseling center, or the head of 1366 Center, who is also unable to be admitted to a protective facility as she is accompanied by a boy aged 10 years or older
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A child victim or juvenile victim of sexual violence by relatives who have not been admitted to a protective facility
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A person recommended by the head of a protective facility, who entered a protective facility for sexual violence victims as a minor and is discharged from the facility at the age of 19 or older
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Other persons deemed necessary to be preferentially admitted to the residential support facility through a review of the committee consisting of local government officials, head of residential support projects, experts, etc.
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※ Based on the priority outlined above, the “Tenant Selection Committee” determines the final admission ranking considering the necessity of housing support, such as employment status, possession of qualification certificates, the possibility of self-support, whether there are male dependent residents, the number of accompanying children, and whether any family members living together are persons with disabilities (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
Cost of admission
- The deposit for lease is exempted for tenants, but an additional charge for tenants is payable at the time of admission in preparation for the payment of maintenance costs to the extent not exceeding 700,000 won on one occasion (returned at the time of discharge) (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
- The maintenance cost and various utility bills will be paid by the tenants living together in the group home to the extent equivalent to a permanent rental apartment (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
Duration of admission
- The duration of housing support for new tenants will be two years, which may be extended by 2 years on one occasion only (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, “2023 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children” p. 100).
Admission method
- Applicants for admission must submit a housing support application to the operating agency (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).
Application for admission
- Victims who wish to be admitted to a group home is eligible to apply for housing support to the protective facility operating a group home (hereinafter referred to as the "operating agency") or 1366 center at any time, and the application will be filed to the metropolitan city or province through Si/Gun/Gu at the relevant operating agency or 1366 Center (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, “2023 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children” p. 100).
Support of rental housing
Preferred supply of rental housing
- A victim of domestic violence falls under the category of people who are eligible for preferred supply of public rental housing built by the State, local governments, the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, or a regional corporation (Article 8-5 of the “Act on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims”).
Eligibility to apply for admission
- To fall under the category of people who are eligible for preferred supply of public rental housing, the victim must satisfy the qualifications for admission for homeless household members and income standards under the following classification [Article 48 of the “Special Act on Public Housing” and Article 15(1) and attached Table 4.2 of the “Enforcement Rule of the Special Act on Public Housing”. People eligible for preferred supply B. 9 such as the those who support their aged parents, the disabled, and men of national merit, etc.) and Table 4.1]:
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Size of rental housing
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Eligibility for admission
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50㎡ or less
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1. A member of a homeless household whose average monthly income does not exceed 50% of the average monthly income per household by the number of household members of urban workers in the previous year (70% for one member and 60% for two members of each household). 2. 70% of the average monthly income per household of urban workers in the previous year for any remaining houses after the supply under 1. Above (90% for one member and 80% for two members of each household).
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More than 50㎡ and less than 60㎡
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A member of a homeless household whose average monthly income is not more than 70% of the average monthly income per urban workers in the previous year (90% for one member and 80% for two members of each household).
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More than 60㎡
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A member of a homeless household whose average monthly income of the relevant household is not more than 100% of the average monthly income per urban worker's household (120% for one household and 110% for two households).
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- Victims who wish to be apreferred recipient of National Public Housing shall meet tenancyqualifications under the 「Enforcement Rules of the SpecialAct on Public Housing」 and fall under any of thefollowing cases(Article 4-2 paragraph 1 of the 「Enforcement Decree of the Acton the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Protection, Etc. of Victims」).
· A victim who has been admitted to a protective facility for at least six months and has been discharged within two years (excluding a person who has been admitted by fraud or other improper means)
· A victim who has been admitted to a residential support facility for victims aided by the Minister of Gender Equality and Family for at least two years (excluding a person who has admitted by fraud or other improper means)
Application for admission
- A victim who wishes to be admitted to public rental housing must be issued with an evidential document necessary for admission application (choose 1 between the written confirmation of admission to a protective facility for victims of domestic violence for at least 6 months and a written confirmation of admission to a housing support facility under the “housing support project for female victims of violence” from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family) (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 「2025 Operational Guidelines for the Promotion of Rights and Interests of Women and Children」).