"Calls for Death Penalty Revival Surge Amid Outrage Over Death of Sexual Assault Victim in Sillim-dong"

Experts Question Effectiveness of 'Desperation Crimes'
Ministry of Justice Considering Life Sentences Without Parole

On the 17th, news spread that a victim who was walking on the hiking trail in Sillim-dong passed away two days later, sparking a wave of calls for the "revival of the death penalty" on online community boards and portal news comment sections.

The police have been working to ease public anxiety by conducting special security operations following the stabbing rampage near Seohyeon Station on the 3rd of this month. However, as heinous crimes continue to occur in everyday spaces, public anger is rising, demanding that criminals be severely punished through the execution of the death penalty.

The suspect Choi, involved in the sexual assault case on the Sillim-dong hiking trail, is leaving Gwanak Police Station on the 19th to attend the warrant hearing at the Seoul Central District Court.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The bereaved families of the victim who died in the indiscriminate stabbing incident in Sillim-dong on the 21st of last month also posted a petition on the National Assembly's public consent petition website requesting the death sentence for the perpetrator, Chosun (33).

At the time, Kim, who identified himself as the victim’s cousin, said, "We request the strictest punishment, the death penalty, so that the perpetrator of the Sillim Station stabbing incident does not return to society and cause another unjust death like this."

South Korea still sentences serious criminals to death, but since December 1997, it has been classified as a "de facto abolitionist country" where the death penalty is not actually carried out.

Netizens argued, "The death penalty system must be reinstated. The grief of victims and their families can only be somewhat alleviated through the death penalty," and "Why don’t they execute the death penalty? The public can no longer tolerate this," insisting that the death penalty should not only be sentenced but also actually enforced.

On the other hand, experts believe that the execution of the death penalty is unlikely to be revived in South Korea, as they see little crime prevention effect from carrying out executions.

Seung Jae-hyun, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice Policy, said in an interview with Yonhap News on the 20th, "I understand the public’s 'legal sentiment' demanding the death penalty, but the suspects in recent incidents are not people who refrain from crimes out of fear of punishment. The preventive effect of such crimes is not significant."

Researcher Seung explained that preventive measures are more urgent than after-the-fact measures. He said, "High-risk groups should be identified in advance, and if necessary, local governments and the state should intervene to provide treatment," adding, "If the goal is to permanently isolate heinous criminals from society, 'life imprisonment without parole' is sufficient."

The Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for carrying out sentences, also takes a cautious stance on executing the death penalty. Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon explained at the National Assembly last month, "There are many considerations," and "The death penalty is very sensitive in diplomatic matters, and if executed, diplomatic relations with the European Union (EU) could be seriously severed."

Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice is reviewing a bill to establish a new criminal law imposing a stronger life sentence without parole than life imprisonment as an alternative to executing the death penalty.

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