I have several foreign friends who have been assaulted during my time here in Korea, and the answer from the police is always the same--no help, only condescending responses. Even those who work in the Women Clinics have been prejudiced against my friends, often calling the assaults against them their fault.
Last year, I was attacked in a stairwell by a drunk man. I was lucky enough to have a friend close by who heard my shouts and was able to pull the man off of me. The establishment that we were at called the police to arrest the man, and when they came, they took my friend's name and number as well as mine. Neither of us ever heard back from the police.
Last week, I went dancing in a popular club area here in Seoul. My friend and I danced until the club was closed, and while we waited outside for her friend to come and pick us up, we had men from the club come up to us and proposition us to go to a motel. It got to the point when they were grabbing and groping at me while I was yelling in Korean telling them to stop, let go of me, and stop touching me. When one of them forcefully grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me away with him, I went to my last resort and pushed against him with all my might, and told him in Korean to "@#$% off!" (Cussing in Korean is often a very effective way to make a Korean man go away). I managed to free myself from his grasp and ran away as fast as I could. I ended up running a little over a mile away before feeling sure enough and safe enough to stop. So when all other things fail, run, just run away as fast as you can.
Things like this should serve as a caution to all foreign women living here in Korea. Be careful. There are many Korean men who will invite you to go to a restaurant to drink or Noraebang (Karaoke) with them, and to bluntly honest, their motives are purely sex. So decline these invitations. Be aware of how much you are drinking (as well as what you are drinking because the spiking of drinks is becoming more commonplace in Korea now) as well as your surroundings.
If worst comes to worst, and you are assaulted, the US consulate here in Korea has provided some information on what to do, and where to get help.
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