"Criminal Records for Violent Crimes as Mugshots" Public Support is High...

'Busan Dolryeochagi'... Identity Disclosure Impossible Due to Defendant Status
In the Blind Spot of Identity Disclosure... Public Support for 'Private Sanctions'
Party and Government Prepare Special Law to Expand Identity Disclosure Targets

Recently, a YouTube channel sparked controversy over private punishment by publicly revealing the personal information of the defendant in the 'Busan Roundhouse Kick' case without following proper legal procedures. Amid this, a public opinion survey showed that 6 out of 10 citizens support individuals disclosing the personal information of violent criminals.

According to a survey conducted by Realmeter on behalf of Media Tribune on the 16th, targeting 504 men and women nationwide aged 18 and older, 60.1% responded that they 'agree' with the disclosure of personal information of violent criminals by individuals. Those who 'disagree' accounted for 30.2%, and 9.7% said they 'do not know.'

The recent rise in public support for personal information disclosure is related to the national outrage triggered by the 'Busan Roundhouse Kick' incident. The perpetrator, Mr. A, in the Busan Roundhouse Kick case was indicted last year on charges of indiscriminately assaulting and attempting to rape a woman on her way home, but under current law, personal information of defendants cannot be disclosed.

The YouTube channel 'Karacula Detective Agency' revealed the identity of the defendant in the 'Busan Spinning Kick' case through a video, sparking controversy over private punishment. Photo by Karacula Detective Agency video capture.

Under current law, during the investigation stage when the individual is a suspect, personal information (such as face, name, age) can be disclosed according to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (Sexual Violence Act). In the case of defendants, personal information (name, age, address, physical information, photos, details of sexual crimes, criminal records, etc.) can be disclosed only by a court order under the Sexual Violence Act and the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse.

In Mr. A's case, during the initial investigation stage, charges such as 'serious injury' were applied instead of 'specific violent crimes,' so personal information was not disclosed. After indictment, additional evidence of violent crimes such as the suspect's genetic information (DNA) was found, but disclosure of personal information remained impossible until a final court ruling due to the defendant status.

Amid this controversy, the YouTube channel 'Caracula Detective Agency' disclosed Mr. A's personal information despite recognizing its illegality. The channel released a video containing Mr. A's name, face, age, and criminal record. Caracula stated the reason for disclosing the personal information as follows: "As a YouTuber, there is certainly concern that this might be an excessive private punishment, but the victim is actively requesting it," and added, "It was a choice made to share the victim's pain."

As criticism grew over the need to improve the personal information disclosure system, the ruling party and government decided to prepare a special law to expand the scope of disclosure. The disclosure of personal information, currently limited to suspects, will be extended to defendants after indictment. To enhance the effectiveness of the criminal personal information disclosure system, the plan includes publicly revealing the appearance within 30 days of the disclosure decision and promoting the release of 'mug shots' (mug shot: photos recording the appearance and attire of criminals).

The scope of disclosure will cover criminals involved in ▲serious crimes such as rebellion, foreign exchange offenses, terrorism, organized crime, and drugs ▲child sexual crimes with high social condemnation ▲random violence crimes where unspecified victims such as women are easily targeted.

In the National Assembly, bills related to the disclosure of defendants' personal information have been consecutively proposed. On the 16th, Representative Park Dae-chul introduced a partial amendment bill to the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, allowing the disclosure of personal information for defendants as well.

Representative Ahn Kyu-baek of the Democratic Party also introduced a bill titled 'Act on Disclosure of Suspect Personal Information for Specific Crimes,' which mandates that investigative agencies disclose the personal information of suspects on the internet in principle for serious crimes such as murder, serious injury, sexual violence, human trafficking, and drug offenses.

Meanwhile, the margin of error for this survey is ±4.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The survey was conducted via wireless (97%) and wired (3%) methods, with a response rate of 3.1%.

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