Sexual Assault: In 2017-2018, the Embassy received several reports of sexual assault from U.S. citizens. Most cases involved young women assaulted by acquaintances after drinking alcohol socially. Specialized hospital units and police are available in South Korea to assist victims, however services in English and responsiveness to the crime are not always consistent. In general, sex crimes are not punished as harshly in South Korea as in the United States and the road to prosecution is a challenging one for victims.
