By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
From next year, people will be allowed to search for personal information of convicted sexual offenders residing in their neighborhood on the Internet, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Tuesday.
The Cabinet endorsed a plan, which will allow adults to check the site as a precautionary measure.
Sex offenders' names, ages, residential and workplace addresses, photographs, heights and weights will be posted alongside the convictions at www.sexoffender.go.kr for up to 10 years.
Inquirers will need to insert their residents' identification card numbers and names. Then, verification requires the provision of a mobile phone number.
However, the database will only register criminals convicted from next year.
To prevent abuse of the information, the government has installed various devices on the Web site to block screen capture or printing. Any publication or distribution of the content will be investigated, the authorities said.
Legislation is also being sought to impose heavier sentences, including chemical castration for rapists who prey on children. The Cabinet also authorized the use of electronic bracelets for released prisoners convicted of sexual offenses.
Some countries have adopted more aggressive approaches in delivering records of ex-convicts including mail, fax, media reports or bulletins.
In California, a collect call hotline has been established to report information on sex offenders to the authorities, obligating police to increase public awareness, especially near schools and residential areas. In Texas, a notice stating that the residence is that of a former sex offender must be set up, and they have to identify themselves even when driving.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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