"Now Strong Punishment Please"... Public Calls for 'Death Penalty Revival' for 20-Month-Old Infant Murderer

"Serious Crimes, Not Properly Punished?" Angry Citizens
Calls for 'Resumption of Death Penalty' Arise in Political Circles
Experts: "Death Penalty Contradicts Global Human Rights Trends"

Yangmo (29), accused of abusing and causing the death of a 20-month-old infant (child abuse homicide), is seen leaving Dunsan Police Station in Seo-gu, Daejeon on July 14.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Voices demanding strong punishment for heinous criminals are growing louder in connection with the case where a man in his 20s was arrested and indicted for sexually assaulting and murdering a 20-month-old infant. Some even argue that the perpetrator should be sentenced to death, reigniting the debate over the retention or abolition of the death penalty. On the 31st of last month, opinions calling for the resumption of ‘death penalty executions’ also emerged in the political sphere.

However, experts unanimously agreed that considering the global trend of abolishing the death penalty and human rights issues, the revival of the death penalty system is not easy and should be avoided.

Recently, public outrage surged after it was revealed that a man in his 20s sexually assaulted, brutally abused, and murdered a 20-month-old infant.

The Criminal Division 12 of Daejeon District Court (Chief Judge Yoo Seokcheol) held the first trial on the 27th of last month for Yang Mo (29), accused of child abuse murder under the Special Act on the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes and violation of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and Jeong Mo (25), the biological mother, accused of corpse concealment and other charges.

According to the prosecution’s investigation records, Yang is accused of covering his 20-month-old stepdaughter A with a blanket at their residence in Daedeok-gu, Daejeon, in the early morning of June 15, then abusing her by hitting and stepping on her for about an hour, causing her death. Yang committed the crime because A would not fall asleep. After A’s death, Yang and Jeong placed the body in an icebox and left it in the bathroom inside the house.

When the case became known, citizens were outraged. Especially as Yang’s inhumane past actions were revealed, the voices demanding strong punishment grew even louder. Netizens argued, “Such heinous criminals should not be left alive,” “Human rights are not a term to be used in such cases,” and “The crimes of heinous criminals have gone beyond the limits of social tolerance,” calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty.

In the political arena, opinions calling for the resumption of death penalty executions also surfaced. Hong Junpyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, shared an article related to the case on Facebook on the 31st of last month and stated, “Shouldn’t such a guy be sentenced to death? If I become president, I will definitely execute such a guy.”

Prison inmate. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

South Korea is one of the OECD member countries, along with the United States and Japan, that maintains the death penalty. However, the last execution in South Korea was carried out on December 30, 1997, against 23 heinous criminals, and although death sentences have been handed down since then, no executions have been carried out for over 20 years. Based on this, the human rights organization Amnesty International classifies South Korea as a de facto abolitionist country.

However, whenever heinous crimes that cause significant social uproar occur, debates flare up over the retention and resumption of executions of the death penalty. Supporters of the death penalty emphasize that in cases of brutal crimes against minors and children, there is no possibility of rehabilitation, and their reintegration into society must be prevented. They also argue that carrying out the death penalty would have a positive effect on crime prevention. On the other hand, opponents argue that the death penalty seriously violates human dignity and the right to life, and that executions do not have a significant crime prevention effect.

Public sentiment largely favors retaining the death penalty. According to a 2019 survey conducted by Realmeter on 500 adults, 52.8% responded that they support the retention and execution of the death penalty, accounting for more than half. 32.6% said they support retention but oppose execution, and 9.6% said the system itself should be abolished.

The global trend is toward abolition of the death penalty. According to a report published by Amnesty International in 2017, the number of countries carrying out executions decreased from 37 in 1998 to 23 in 2017, while the number of countries that have legislated abolition of the death penalty increased from 70 to 106 during the same period. The European Union (EU) also requires abolition of the death penalty as a condition for membership.

Experts also agree that the death penalty is a punishment that should be avoided. Attorney Lee Eun-ui (Lee Eun-ui Law Office) said, “Considering the direction that civilized society and human rights should take, the death penalty is a system that should be avoided. For heinous criminals who require permanent social isolation, alternatives other than the death penalty should be sought. The fundamental issue is not whether to reintroduce the death penalty, but rather whether sentencing for heinous criminals has been applied in a way that the public can accept and whether the management of released criminals has been appropriate.”

Professor Lee Sujeong of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University pointed out, “The death penalty infringes not only on the human rights of the criminals subject to execution but also on the human rights of those who carry out the executions. Once the death penalty is executed, it cannot be reversed, and since there are retrial cases due to wrongful convictions, it must be approached with caution. Above all, it is doubtful that the revival of the death penalty will reduce heinous crimes.”

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