'Child Sex Offender' Jo Doo-soon Preparing for Employment... Citizens Express Outrage

Jodusun to Participate in Employment Support Program Ahead of Release
Up to 5 Million Won Support Available for Program Participants
Citizens Outraged: "Victims' Families Are Moving Away"
Experts: "Legal Administration Should Prioritize Victims"

'Child sex offender' Jo Doo-soon. The photo shows Jo Doo-soon on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) screen at Cheongsong Prison, Gyeongbuk, on the afternoon of March 16, 2010.

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Young-eun] Criticism is growing as it has been reported that child sex offender Jo Doo-soon is participating in a government-supported employment program ahead of his release.

There are concerns that using taxpayers' money to arrange employment for a criminal who committed a brutal crime is socially unacceptable. Experts emphasize that victim recovery should take priority before supporting Jo Doo-soon's employment.

Jo Doo-soon, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in December 2008 for kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and injuring an elementary school student in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, is scheduled to be released on the 13th of next month.

According to data received by Park Soo-young, a member of the People Power Party, from the Ministry of Justice on the 16th, Jo Doo-soon is expected to participate in the 'Hug Job Support Program,' an employment placement system operated by the Korea Rehabilitation Welfare Corporation under the Ministry of Justice for those scheduled for release and probationers.

CCTV in an alley of a residential area in Ansan OO-dong. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

If he participates in this program, Jo Doo-soon can receive employment planning while in correctional facilities or support for education and job placement after release.

Additionally, participants receive up to 3 million KRW for education expenses and 1.8 million KRW as a job success allowance depending on the program stage. Furthermore, training participation support allowance (up to 284,000 KRW per month), training incentive (up to 116,000 KRW per month), and employment planning participation allowance (up to 250,000 KRW) are provided, totaling over 5 million KRW in support.

Jo Doo-soon had not applied for other vocational training during his approximately 12 years of incarceration but is understood to have expressed his intention to participate in the Hug Job Support Program for the first time ahead of his release.

Moreover, he expressed his intention to return to Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where he committed the crime and resided, prompting the victim to decide to move to another area as she could no longer endure the 'secondary damage.' The victim's father lamented in a media interview, "The child is so scared, suffering from nightmares every day, imagining that they might encounter him anywhere in the same living area, so they had no choice but to leave Ansan."

Photo by Yonhap News

Given this situation, public opinion is unfavorable toward providing employment support to criminals using taxpayers' money. Not only Jo Doo-soon but also a correctional facility previously faced criticism and closed a facility after installing a karaoke machine for inmates to sing.

On the 28th of last month, the prison announced the opening of a 'Mind and Body Healing Room' to relieve inmate stress, promote mental and physical stability, and support correctional rehabilitation and healthy social reintegration. The healing room is equipped with a karaoke machine and two whack-a-mole game machines, all free for inmates to use.

However, on the 29th of last month, a petition titled 'Please close the Jeonju Prison Mind and Body Healing Room immediately' was posted on the Blue House's public petition board, criticizing the lenient treatment of criminals.

CCTV in the alley of a residential area in Ansan OO-dong. Photo by Seunggon Han hsg@asiae.co.kr

In this context, public opinion criticized the society as 'too lenient toward criminals.' Netizens responded with comments such as, "I can't believe taxpayers' money is used to support employment for heinous criminals," "Only the public and victims suffer under laws favoring criminals," and "A country that prioritizes criminals' human rights."

A 23-year-old resident of Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, A, said, "Even though I am not a direct victim, I feel very uneasy about Jo Doo-soon returning to Ansan, and I can't even imagine how the victim's family feels. I can't understand how the perpetrator can return to the victim's residential area, let alone be encouraged with employment support."

Experts emphasize that victim recovery support should come first. Professor Lee Soo-jung, a criminal psychology professor at Kyonggi University, said, "(Our country) seems unable to decide whether supporting the future of released offenders or victim recovery is more important. They provide various supports and jobs to perpetrators, but the victims are raising funds to move away," she pointed out.

She added, "There is no correlation between employment and crime, and criminals do not commit crimes because they are less educated. Now, like many foreign countries, we should consider 'restorative justice' (which focuses on enhancing victims' rights and recovery) and shift the focus to victims. We must no longer ignore victims," she emphasized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.