Another Electronic Ankle Bracelet Removed... Concerns Over Recurrence of Heinous Crimes

One Probation Officer Manages 18 Electronic Monitoring Subjects
Ministry of Justice Reinforces Electronic Monitoring Staff and Develops Electronic Devices for High-Risk Individuals

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] The 'electronic monitoring system uselessness theory' is being raised again. This follows an incident where a person wearing an electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) killed a woman and fled.

According to the police on the 14th, a man in his 40s, Park, who killed a woman while intoxicated and fled, was recently apprehended. He was reportedly a probationer wearing an electronic anklet due to a prior sex crime conviction. Park attempted to damage the electronic anklet but failed. After the crime, he confessed to his mother. The mother informed the alcohol addiction center that Park attended, and upon the center's report, the police arrived and urgently arrested Park.

At the end of last month, there was also a case where an electronic anklet was damaged and a robbery committed. A man in his 40s, A, violated the nighttime outing restriction, entered a karaoke room late at night, threatened the owner with a weapon, and stole a mobile phone and cards. After the crime, A damaged the electronic anklet with an industrial cutter and fled but was caught by the police.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon visited the Central Location Tracking Control Center in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, on October 11, and is listening to an explanation of the electronic anklet displayed in the promotional experience center. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Public opinion calling for strengthening the electronic anklet monitoring system has continued. According to the Ministry of Justice, the recidivism rate for the same type of crime among electronic monitoring subjects during the monitoring period has been in the 1% range annually over the past three years. However, as cases of electronic anklet damage have increased, citizens' anxiety has grown. Last year, there were 19 cases of electronic anklet damage.

The distrust in electronic anklets was ignited by the serial murders of Kang Yoon-sung. Kang, a 14-time offender, killed a woman in her 40s at his home while wearing an electronic anklet during his parole period in August last year. The next day, he cut off the anklet and committed another murder while fleeing.

As the controversy continued, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to develop a 'high-risk electronic device.' The device will have a metal exterior to minimize attempts at damage, and the metal internal layers will be reinforced from 7 to 15 layers. Kim Geun-sik, a serial sexual offender of minors, was scheduled to wear this device after his release, but was re-arrested just before release due to another crime. The Ministry of Justice plans to attach the newly developed high-risk electronic device to high-risk individuals like Kim.

However, there are criticisms that 'strengthening the material of the electronic anklet' cannot be a sufficient measure against damage. Since the electronic monitoring system was implemented in 2008 until last year, the Ministry of Justice has repeatedly reinforced the material of electronic anklets, but there remains the possibility of damage using industrial cutters. This means that simply enhancing durability by strengthening the material cannot prevent damage, escape, and further crimes.

The shortage of electronic monitoring management personnel is also a chronic problem. According to the Ministry of Justice, as of the end of last year, there were 4,316 electronic monitoring subjects, but only 418 management personnel as of the end of July. Excluding one-on-one electronic monitoring managers and investigators, one probation officer manages about 18.3 electronic monitoring subjects.

The Ministry of Justice plans to continuously increase electronic monitoring personnel. In this regard, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has decided to reinforce 274 personnel through the Integrated Utilization Quota System for areas including electronic monitoring to prevent recidivism, direct investigation of drug offenders, and dedicated investigations of the dark web.

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