Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon Orders Inspection of Execution Facilities

Amid rising public calls for 'death penalty enforcement' following a series of heinous crimes, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is reported to have instructed correctional institutions to inspect their death penalty execution facilities.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is entering the briefing room at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 14th to announce the Liberation Day special pardon. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

According to the legal community on the 30th, Minister Han last week ordered four correctional institutions equipped with death penalty execution facilities?Seoul Detention Center, Busan Detention Center, Daegu Prison, and Daejeon Prison?to properly maintain these facilities.

This directive is interpreted as an effort to raise awareness among criminals following recent heinous crimes such as the sexual assault and murder in Sillim-dong and the stabbing incident at Seohyeon Station. However, the Ministry of Justice cautioned against overinterpretation, stating that the inspection of death penalty facilities is "a routine task conducted while the death penalty system remains in place."

Minister Han expressed a cautious stance on death penalty enforcement during his appearance at the National Assembly last month, saying, "There are many factors to consider." South Korea has not carried out any executions since December 1997, effectively classifying it as a 'de facto abolitionist country' regarding the death penalty.

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