Handonghun: "If We Fight Drug Crimes Like a War, We Can Stop Them"

Reviewing the Introduction of the US 'Jessica Law' Restricting Residence of Violent Sex Offenders

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is attending the 1st National Task Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House State Guesthouse in Seoul on the 15th. Photo by Presidential Office Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the afternoon of the 15th, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, emphasized at the 1st National Task Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House State Guest House, "If we block it like a war from now on, we can prevent drug crimes," and added, "Our country should not become a place where parents worry about whether their children might do drugs when sending them to school."

Minister Han pointed out the increasing trend of drug crimes according to various recent statistics, stating, "Since 2015, our country is no longer a drug-free nation." He also said, "The number of student drug offenders has increased fivefold over the past 10 years. The proportion of offenders in their 20s and 30s has also exceeded 50%." He continued, "Drug prices have become cheaper and their hallucinogenic effects have increased, so you can buy drugs for the price of a pizza. The marijuana currently being talked about is not the old hippie-level stuff but qualitatively different substances. It is clearly serious."

Minister Han, who emphasized, "The government will definitely stop it. We will crack down and punish strongly," revealed detailed plans, saying, "We have partially restored the prosecution's drug investigations that were abolished by the 'complete removal of prosecution investigation rights' legislation in September. Centered on the prosecution's special drug investigation team, we will strictly control distribution and manufacturing, and under the president's directive, we are preparing to expand the two drug addiction rehabilitation centers operated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety nationwide."

Regarding social concerns about sex offenders returning to society, he said, "We will consider introducing a groundbreaking system like the U.S. 'Jessica's Law,' which prevents violent sex offenders from living near schools or areas with many children."

Jessica's Law, implemented in the U.S., mandates a minimum sentence of 25 years imprisonment even for first-time offenders who commit sex crimes against children under 12 years old, and requires them to wear a location tracking device for life after release. It also prohibits offenders from residing near schools or parks where children are active. The law is named after Jessica Gunsford, a 9-year-old victim who was raped and murdered by sex offender John Coy in February 2005.

Minister Han said, "After the Sindang Station murder case, we abolished the semi-non-prosecution clause for stalking and are promoting legislation to equip stalking offenders with electronic anklets," adding, "We are strengthening one-on-one electronic supervision and rapid investigation teams, expanding connections with local government closed-circuit (CC) TVs to enhance electronic monitoring. In the process, we are identifying and addressing any shortcomings."

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