SOUTH KOREA. DEATH SENTENCE TO REMAIN

February 13, 2007: the Ministry of Justice announced it had drafted a roadmap for human rights protection (National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights), but the draft will likely raise controversy because it does not include recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to move toward abolishing the National Security Law and capital punishment.
In relation to scrapping the death penalty as recommended by the NHRC, the Ministry of Justice deferred a decision on the matter, saying that the ministry would review whether to abolish it or not during the first half of this year.
The government will review the appropriateness of the introduction of an “absolute life sentence”, and will try to take into account the outcome of an upcoming National Assembly review process for a bill demanding abolishment of the death penalty, added the ministry. (Sources: The Hankyoreh, Chosun, 14/02/2007)