Recidivism rate prompts gov't to 'pay attention to' public opinion on resuming death penalty

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By Jung Min-ho

The Ministry of Justice is now paying close attention to recent changes in public opinion on resuming the implementation of the death penalty.

In response to inquiries sent by The Korea Times recently, the ministry said its stance on the issue has not changed ― that there should be a thorough review before deciding whether to carry out capital punishment again.

But “violent crimes seen recently and the rate of recidivism” forced officials to pay attention to growing calls for the resumption, it said.

The statement comes amid mounting calls for stronger penalties against criminals after a series of violent crimes have occurred targeting random people.

On Aug. 17, Choi Yoon-jong, 30, assaulted a woman in her 30s in an alleged attempt to rape her on a hiking trail in Seoul. This occurred just two weeks after Choi Won-jong, 22, rammed his vehicle into pedestrians before going on a stabbing rampage inside a mall near Seohyeon Station, leaving one woman dead and 13 others injured. Another man, 33, Cho Sun, attacked people in a similar way with a knife in Seoul on July 21.

To address public fears of such attacks, President Yoon Suk Yeol told his officials earlier this week to come up with measures to prevent such crimes.

Given diplomatic risks regarding relations with the European Union, which imposes trade restrictions on countries that execute criminals, the ministry said it is considering adopting a life sentence without parole through legislation as an alternative measure.

Korea is categorized as a “death penalty abolitionist in practice” by Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog. The country carried out its last execution on Dec. 30, 1997.