Intimate Partner Femicide in South Korea: An Integrative Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Background Intimate partner femicide (IPF) is a severe form of violence perpetrated against women in intimate relationships. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to identify studies of IPF in South Korea. Methods A web-based literature search was performed in six databases: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, SocINDEX, and RISS (Korean academic online database). Because of the limited number of findings, Google Scholar was used to find additional studies. Results Nine articles were selected. There were no studies of IPF in South Korea utilizing a healthcare perspective. The studies were primarily designed to understand the characteristics of the cases and the perpetrators. Through the application of the ecological model to these studies, risk factors at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels were identified. Although these studies identified that risk factors at the societal level—Korean culture, policy, and law—have a considerable influence on femicide, a clear solution is not proposed. Conclusion It is imperative to understand IPF in South Korea from a female societal perspective to facilitate violence prevention and recovery for those experiencing intimate partner violence.