By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
A human rights body Monday celebrated the news that Korea has moved towards becoming a nation free of the death penalty.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said Amnesty International recognizes South Korea as a country free of capital punishment, although it still maintains the Death Penalty Law, on the grounds that there have been no executions for the last 10 years.
``This is a very symbolic move,'' NHRC spokesman Yook seong-cheol said. ``But it is necessary for the country to abolish the death penalty by law in the end.''
The recognition is legally non-binding but the nation cannot ignore it as it carries moral weight and reflects world opinion, Yook said.
Since the establishment of the nation in 1948, a total of 998 convicts have been executed, but there have been no executions since 1997 when 23 convicts were put to death. There are 64 people now on death row.
Some 88 countries have abolished the death penalty and 11 countries that partially maintain the system for certain crimes. There are 29 countries that have not carried out executions for more than 10 years.
The United Nations General Assembly also recently approved a resolution calling for a suspension on executions worldwide. The resolution calls for ``a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.''
To send out the message calling for the ultimate abolition of the system, NHRC members also held an event on Christmas eve in front of the commission's headquarters in downtown Seoul.
They gave away 64 roses to passers-by, which represents the number of convicts awaiting execution.
``Since 10 years have passed without execution under the death penalty, we should now move forward to abolishing this unnecessary and inhuman punishment in more active way,'' Yook said.
In 2005, the abolition of capital punishment was first proposed to the government by the commission with the support of many religious and civic groups.
The most recent bill, proposed last September, is still pending at the National Assembly.