“Severe punishment must be imposed” vs “An unfortunate death must be prevented”… Controversy for and against the death penalty is rising again [News Inside]

“Please sentence Yoon-seong Kang to the death penalty for the serial murder of two women before and after the destruction of the electronic location tracking device (electronic anklet).”

These are the contents of the petitions that were recently posted on the bulletin board of the Blue House. Public outrage is growing as a series of heinous crimes occur, such as the case of ‘electronic anklet killer’ Kang Yun-seong and the case of a 20-year-old man named Yang who raped and killed a 20-month-old infant. In line with this situation, there are growing calls to support the death penalty and even enforce it. Rep. Hong Jun-pyo, one of the candidates for the People’s Power presidential election, ignited the fire by posting on Facebook, saying, “If I become president, I will put this guy to death”, referring to the murder of a 20-month-old infant. Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, a presidential candidate of the same party, also agreed on the need for execution. Former lawmaker Yoo recently visited the Korean Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and said, “How can you commit such a crime to a 20-month-old child wearing human clothing? . Executing the death penalty is also a way,” he said. The controversy over the death penalty, which has been mentioned whenever a heinous crime has been repeated, has recently risen to the surface again.

◆The voices of death penalty resurrection are high, but… Korea, a country that has effectively abolished the death penalty

Public opinion weighs in favor of the death penalty. According to a poll (1007 respondents) commissioned by Money Today commissioned by Gallup Korea and released on the 15th, 77.3% of the respondents said that the death penalty should be maintained. Only 18.7% of the respondents said they were against the death penalty. Among the respondents who said that the death penalty should be maintained, 95.5% said that even the execution of heinous criminals such as serial killers should be carried out. Recently, heinous crimes against children As cases of committing a crime or committing a violent crime again after being released from prison without remorse, voices in favor of the death penalty are growing. Hye-jeong Gong, president of the Korea Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse, said, “The narrow punishment given to vicious offenders in the past has angered the people. did. “Crimes that take away children’s right to live are particularly horrific,” said Gong. “There should be a proper punishment,” he said. A 27-year-old office worker, Park Mo (27), said, “There are many cases of repeated heinous crimes without correction.

In fact, the prosecution has recently been demanding the death penalty for heinous criminals as if considering such a national legal sentiment. Prosecutors requested the death penalty in April for the mother-in-law (35-year-old mother-in-law of Jeong In-i), who lost her life at the age of 16 months after being abused by her adoptive parents. Jang is accused of habitually abusing his adopted daughter, Jeong In-i, and causing her death. Prosecutors said the reason for the death sentence was “a crime against humanity”. The prosecution also requested the death penalty on the 13th for Kim Tae-hyun, who was handed over to trial for the murder of three mothers and daughters in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul. Unlike successive death sentences, 2016 was the last time the court made a final decision on the death penalty. In 2014, the court sentenced Im Do-bin to death, the culprit of the so-called ‘Byeongjang Lim case’, who opened fire at the 22nd Division GOP, where he was serving at the time, and killed five of his colleagues. Since Im Do-bin, there has been no final judgment on the death penalty. Prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Jang, the mother-in-law of Jeong In-i, but the first trial sentenced him to life imprisonment in May. While the appeal is currently in progress, it is known that more than 10,000 petitions have been received asking for more severe punishment for Mr. Jang and his adoptive parents. The results of the appeal are noteworthy.

Sergeant Immo (23), the suspect in the Goseong GOP (general outpost) shooting incident in Goseong, Gangwon, on November 7, 2014 was on the 7th. After the 3rd trial held at the General Military Court of the 1st Field Military Command of the Army, he is heading to the military bus. yunhap news

It has been a long time since the death penalty was actually executed. The last execution of 23 prisoners on death row was carried out on December 30, 1997, during the Kim Young-sam administration. Since then, no executions have been carried out in 24 years. In fact, Korea is close to abolition of the death penalty. The international community, including Amnesty International, also classified Korea as a ‘de facto abolitionist country’ in 2007. The ‘Abolition of the Death Penalty Religion, Human Rights and Civic Organizations Conference’, which was formed in 2017 by 15 organizations including Amnesty International Korea, the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and the Catholic Human Rights Commission, said, “It should be a ‘complete abolition of the death penalty’.” claiming Among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States and Japan are the only countries that carry out the death penalty.

Currently, a total of 59 unexecuted death row inmates (including 4 in military prisons) are detained in correctional facilities in Korea. Yoo Young-cheol and Kang Ho-soon, who committed serial murders, are awaiting execution. Won Eon-shik, who was convicted of setting fire to a religious facility in Wonju, Gangwon-do in 1992 and killing 15 people, was sentenced to death the following year. There is also a Chinese death penalty. Wang Liwei, who killed two people in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, was sentenced to death in 2001.

Last Feb 2009 1 A serial killer Kang Ho-soon leaves the Sangnok Police Station in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do for on-site inspection. yunhap news

◆“You have to pay for your crimes” vs “Preventing unfortunate deaths” Legal experts are also discussing the death penalty. Opinions are divided.

Proponents are of the view that reasonable punishment is necessary for crimes against humanity. Attorney Geon Choi (Konyang Law Firm) said, “The purpose of punishment is not only for edification, but to take responsibility for one’s own crimes.

Opponents of the death penalty argue that an unfair death can occur due to a misjudgment by the court, and that the death penalty is murder by the state. . “The biggest problem with the death penalty is that there is still the possibility of misjudgment,” said Kim Jun-woo, secretary general of Minbyun. Secretary-General Kim said, “It is clear that each citizen is the subject of the right to life. The death penalty should be completely abolished through constitutional amendment.” According to Article 110 of the Constitution, which stipulates the contents of the current military court, “military trials under emergency martial law are limited to crimes committed by military personnel or military personnel, espionage related to the military, and crimes against guards, guard posts, supply of poisonous food, and prisoners of war, as prescribed by law. can be done with a single mind. However, as it is stipulated that ‘this is not the case in the case of a death sentence,’ it means that the death penalty should be abolished through constitutional amendment, as some constitutional scholars argue that the death penalty is permissible under the Constitution.

Murdered ‘three mothers and daughters’ in an apartment in Nowon-gu, Seoul on April 9th Kim Tae-hyun, who is accused of doing so, takes off his mask as he leaves the Dobong Police Station in Seoul to be sent to the prosecution. Yonhap News

Experts Opinion on the Death Penalty Although there is a lot of disagreement, there is a consensus on the need to completely isolate the heinous criminals from society. Secretary-General Kim said, “We need social isolation in a way other than the death penalty. Kim Hyun, former president of the Korean Bar Association, emphasized, “Recently, there are a lot of heinous criminals, and there are many cases of re-offending without even reflecting on them. Former Chairman Kim said, “Currently, you can be released on parole no matter what punishment you receive except the death penalty.”

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