Ministry of Justice Lowers Parole Threshold... Unpaid Confiscation Fee Offenders Now Eligible for Review

Ministry of Justice Revises Parole Guidelines
Institutional Reforms Aim to Expand Parole Eligibility

The Ministry of Justice has revised its work guidelines to allow individuals who have not yet paid confiscation fees to be considered for parole review.

Jung Sung-ho, Minister of Justice. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the legal community on April 16, the Ministry of Justice amended its official parole work guidelines on March 30, allowing those who have not paid confiscation fees to be included as eligible candidates for parole review.

Under the Criminal Act, those sentenced to imprisonment may be considered for parole after serving one-third of their sentence. Previously, the guidelines required inmates with outstanding fines or confiscation fees to pay them in full by the day before the preliminary meeting in order to apply for the eligibility review. With this revision, those with fines or minor penalties may now apply for the review if they have fully paid them by the day before the preliminary meeting.

While the application requirements have been eased, those who have not paid their confiscation fees will be classified as parole-restricted offenders and will be subject to stricter review standards.

This revision is seen as a measure to address the issue of automatically excluding individuals with unpaid confiscation fees from parole consideration without a legal basis. The Ministry of Justice explained that the guidelines were revised to narrow the gap between the statutory requirements for parole and the actual review standards, enhance fairness among eligible candidates, and expand the scope of the parole system.

Previously, President Lee Jaemyung instructed Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho during the ministry's work report in December last year to consider easing parole standards for inmates with a low risk of recidivism and little potential for social controversy. In response, the Ministry of Justice also prepared the "2026 Parole Expansion Plan," which includes increasing the number of paroles by 30% compared to last year.

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