Citizen Group "23 Years Since Death Penalty Moratorium, From Suspension to Complete Abolition"

In front of the Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, representatives from the Joint Conference of Religious, Human Rights, and Civic Groups for the Abolition of the Death Penalty are holding a lighting performance to urge the abolition of the death penalty.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] On the 30th, marking 23 years since the suspension of executions, civic groups called for the 'complete abolition of the death penalty.' In Korea, the last execution was carried out on December 30, 1997, involving 23 death row inmates.

The Joint Conference of Religious, Human Rights, and Civic Organizations for the Abolition of the Death Penalty issued a statement on this day, saying, "We have reached the best time to move beyond the moratorium on executions and become a country that completely abolishes the death penalty," and demanded, "The 21st National Assembly should no longer delay and must legally abolish the death penalty completely."

The Joint Conference evaluated, "The Korean government, for the first time ever, supported the final approval of the 'Moratorium on Executions Resolution' at the 75th United Nations General Assembly held in New York on the 16th," calling it "a very positive change officially declaring domestically and internationally that executions will no longer be carried out."

They added, "The fact that 142 out of 193 UN member states have completely or effectively abolished the death penalty suggests there is no longer any reason to delay the complete abolition of the death penalty."

They also expressed hope for a progressive ruling from the Constitutional Court regarding the death penalty. The Constitutional Court is currently reviewing a constitutional appeal filed by the Catholic community last February to abolish the death penalty. The Joint Conference stated, "If the Constitutional Court decides to abolish the death penalty, it will be a significant advancement that raises the level of human rights in our society."

The Joint Conference said, "It is obvious that those who commit crimes must be caught and receive appropriate punishment," but argued, "Our desire to abolish the death penalty stems from the reason that the state should not take life in the same brutal way as the heinous crimes it punishes." They added, "It is essential to carefully identify the root causes of crime and implement policies that reduce crime by resolving many contradictions within our society, thereby making our society safer."

Finally, they urged, "We ask that the justice and respect for life in the Republic of Korea, which does not treat citizens' lives carelessly, be demonstrated through the abolition of the death penalty," emphasizing, "Let us leave behind the era of death and move forward together into an era of peace and life."

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