Korea abuse reports on disabled people rise 9.6 percent in 2025

The health ministry said Friday that reports of abuse against people with disabilities rose 9.6 percent last year to 6,608, with a growing share of victims reporting the abuse themselves.

Suspected abuse cases accounted for 3,375 of the reports, or 51.1 percent, according to the 2025 status report on abuse of people with disabilities published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Central Disability Rights Advocacy Agency.

Reports filed by the victims themselves reached 806, up 31.7 percent from a year earlier. Reports by people with intellectual disabilities made up the largest share of those, at 493 cases, a 53.1 percent increase. Cases reported by people with a legal duty to report abuse rose 12.3 percent to 895, while reports from those without such a duty rose 10.9 percent to 2,480. The ministry said the rising share of reports from the public and from victims themselves showed that continued training and easier reporting channels were needed so abuse can be caught early.

Of the suspected cases, 3,313 were investigated, a rate of 98.2 percent, with the number of investigations rising 9.7 percent to 7,520. Authorities confirmed abuse in 1,505 cases, up 3.9 percent, and provided counseling and support 15,274 times for those victims.

People with developmental disabilities were disproportionately affected. They made up 76.2 percent of abuse victims, including 70.1 percent with intellectual disabilities and 6.1 percent with autism. Victims aged 30 or younger accounted for 65.2 percent of the total, and the number in their 20s rose 12.8 percent to 370.

Repeat abuse increased to 238 cases, or 15.8 percent of confirmed cases, from 189 cases a year earlier, and 88.2 percent of those victims had developmental disabilities. The report also found that abuse occurring almost daily tended to last far longer: 48.5 percent of such cases continued for more than three years, compared with fewer than three months in 90.7 percent of cases that happened once or twice.

Most abuse took place where the victim lived, at 47.6 percent, followed by disability welfare facilities at 12.8 percent and the perpetrator's home at 6.4 percent. Physical abuse was the most common type at 34.4 percent, followed by emotional abuse at 26.8 percent and financial exploitation at 20.3 percent. Labor exploitation, such as making people work without pay, rose 9.5 percent to 81 cases, and 75.3 percent of those victims had intellectual disabilities.

The ministry is preparing subordinate legislation to implement a revised disability welfare law that raises the maximum fine for mandatory reporters who fail to report known abuse to 10 million won ($7,489) from 3 million won. The change takes effect Feb. 12, 2027.

Cha Jeon-kyung, director-general of the ministry's disability policy bureau, said early detection and reporting are critical. "Continued support for recovery and prevention of repeat abuse is needed after the damage occurs," Cha said, adding that the ministry will keep improving related systems and support so that protection of victims is carried out in practice.