Police carried out a total of 7,091 protection measures for victims of stalking last year, National Police Agency data showed.

This equals to an average of 19.4 protection measures per day, according to the report submitted to Rep. Jeon Bong-min of the People Power Party.

The number of protection measures carried out for stalking victims has been on the rise. A total of 1,428 protection measures were carried out in 2021, while the figure reached 3,754 in the first half of this year alone, the report showed.

Police have been compiling relevant statistics since October 2021, following the enactment of the anti-stalking law, which seeks heavier punishment against perpetrators of stalking crimes.

When expanded to all types of crimes, the total protection measures tripled over the past five years from 9,442 in 2018 to 29,372 in 2022. (Yonhap)