Yoon to Expand Public Disclosure of Personal Information for Violent Crimes Against Women... Ministry of Justice to Soon Submit Bill and Enforcement Decree (Comprehensive)

Public Opinion Grows for Expanded Identity Disclosure Following Busan Roundhouse Kick Incident
Presidential Office "Expect Opposition Party Not to Object"
To Chinese Ambassador: "If Role Is Inappropriate, It Harms Both Countries' National Interests"

President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 12th instructed to "swiftly promote measures to expand the disclosure of personal information of perpetrators of violent crimes against women." The Ministry of Justice plans to revise related laws in accordance with President Yoon's directive.

According to Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the presidential office, President Yoon gave this instruction to the Ministry of Justice during a senior secretaries meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning.

Spokesperson Lee explained, "Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice plans to draft related bills and submit them to the National Assembly as soon as possible," adding, "Also, parts that can be addressed through related enforcement ordinances or regulations will be revised promptly and submitted to the Cabinet meeting."

At the meeting, President Yoon was briefed on the so-called 'Busan roundhouse kick' case and the public demand to expand the scope of criminal offender information disclosure triggered by the incident. The Busan roundhouse kick case involved a man in his 20s who, last May in Busan, chased a woman for about 10 minutes and violently assaulted her at the shared entrance of an officetel, causing her to lose consciousness. The defendant, Mr. A, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the first trial.

The victim recently appeared on a YouTube channel and lamented, "The prosecution and police said it was difficult to disclose the perpetrator's personal information." The YouTuber running the channel and Kim Min-seok, a member of the Gangseo District Council, directly disclosed Mr. A's identity. This led to demands for expanding the scope of personal information disclosure and sparked controversy over private sanctions.

Initially, investigative agencies decided to disclose personal information only for crimes specified in Article 2 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes and Article 2 of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. However, Mr. A was excluded from disclosure because he was charged only with attempted murder.

The appellate court recognized the prosecution's additional evidence of Mr. A's attempted rape-murder charge, sentenced him to 20 years in prison, ordered disclosure of his personal information on information and communication networks for 10 years, restricted employment at child-related institutions for 10 years, and mandated electronic location tracking device attachment for 20 years. However, if Mr. A appeals, his personal information cannot be disclosed until the Supreme Court's decision is made.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding President Yoon's order to expand personal information disclosure and the background for defining violent crimes against women, as well as how crimes against children or other socially vulnerable groups will be handled, a key official from the presidential office stated, "Since the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, policies have been promoted to protect political, economic, and social vulnerable groups. There has been public interest, but controversy arose over whether it is lawful that the victim's identity can be disclosed but the defendant's identity cannot due to legal deficiencies."

The official continued, "Personal information disclosure is possible for specific violent crimes such as murder and abduction. The law includes suspects but not defendants," adding, "Legal experts have opinions that if suspects are disclosed, defendants should naturally be disclosed as well, but on the other hand, there is also the view that disclosing defendants without legal provisions is excessive. This part needs to be clarified further."

Regarding whether restrictions on the residence of sex offenders will also be pursued, the official said, "The Ministry of Justice will review the specific provisions of the bill," and expressed hope that "the opposition party will not oppose it."

Meanwhile, concerning Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming and the strong stance taken by Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, who said the ambassador is not suitable for the position, when asked if the presidential office would make a separate statement, the official responded, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conveyed our position, and the Korean Embassy in China has also addressed the matter, so we have nothing further to say," adding, "However, the Vienna Convention, which regulates diplomats' duties, stipulates that diplomats must respect the laws of the receiving country and must not interfere in internal affairs."

The official further emphasized, "The position of ambassador serves as a bridge between the home country and the host country," adding, "If the bridging role is inappropriate, it could harm national interests both at home and abroad."

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