4 times in 7 days: Cosplayer Rurusama says she was stalked by different men while working in South Korea

As an influencer, it's natural that she'd want followers — not so much, however, when they're following her in reality.

In an episode of HeyKaki's talk show published on Nov 23, Singapore cosplayer Rurusama shared that she was stalked while alone in South Korea for work.

"This guy followed me from the train," the 24-year-old recalled. "After I got down, he followed me all the way until I reached my hotel."

Once she arrived at her accommodation, she immediately went to the front desk to ask for help, letting staff know that she was being followed, and the police were called.

Her encounter with this stalker was even recorded, Rurusama said, as she was livestreaming at the time.

Worried for her safety, her viewers had spoken to her via comments, telling her not to "look back" at the man who was still following her.

"The problem is [the stalking] didn't just happen once. I was in Korea for seven days and it happened four times," Rurusama said. "And it was all different men!"

She added that she was "lucky" to have stayed at a hotel instead of an Airbnb, also saying that this experience reinforced her belief that women should stay in hotels when travelling overseas.

@heykaki.sg Bruh this is way too creepy ngl 😰 Hear the full scoop where @rurusama9 share more on different gender expectations in other countries through her overseas experience with @shalome @andrewwyz @zoey (xiying) on our full video! . . . #singapore #stalker #storytime #talkshow #genz #heykakisg #genzdecodes ♬ original sound - HeyKaki 嘿卡奇

In June, South Korean lawmakers unanimously passed a bill to revise anti-stalking law in the country, strengthening punishment for crimes related to stalking.

The clause that required the victim to consent to punishing their stalker was removed, allowing enforcement to hold stalkers responsible for their crimes.

Prior to this change, victims of stalking would usually give up on seeking punishment against perpetrators due to fears of retaliation, The Korea Times reported in June.

Many perpetrators managed to avoid criminal punishment, instead reaching settlements with the victims.

What to do if someone is stalking you

According to Singapore Legal Advice, an act such as following a person, loitering outside the places a person frequents, may be considered unlawful stalking if the victim feels harassed, alarmed or distressed by the action.

Victims of stalking ought to make a police report or file a Magistrate's Complaint. They can also consider applying for a protection order against the stalker, allowing the court to prohibit the stalker from continuing their conduct, or requiring them to attend counselling or mediation.

Unlawful stalking is a criminal offence under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) and comes with a fine not exceeding $5,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

ALSO READ: Outrage in South Korea after stalker stabs young woman to death in public toilet

khooyihang@asiaone.com