Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center

Sexual violence is routinely dismissed as "private," "unimportant," or "shameful" sexual issue, and wrongly associated with "female virginity," or "lies" told by women. Moreover, Korean society's traditions and distorted perceptions of sex and gender, has until recently, kept sexual violence unaddressed, preventing survivors from receiving appropriate assistance and support. The Korean Violence Relief Center (KSVRC), opened in 1991 when sexual violence was not yet understood as a violation of sexual self-determination. Since then, our doors have remained opened with the hope of changing Korea's hostile environment towards survivors.

KSVRC is a women's activist organization that aims to reveal the nature of sexual violence as a structural problem caused by power relations between gender. We have assisted and supported sexual violence survivors through various activities, including but not limited to providing more than 87,000 one-on-one counseling sessions, proposing the enactment and revision of laws, monitoring and evaluating policy, publishing materials, and running educational programs.