The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol'

  • 3

    Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3

  • 5

    Genesis launches 2023 G90 sedan

  • 7

    Churches, Seoul gov't unite to fight low birthrate

  • 9

    Burnout: Cardiothoracic surgery residents work 102 hours a week

  • 11

    Kakao Entertainment, Colombia Record team up for IVE's North American debut

  • 13

    What's next for Do Kwon?

  • 15

    BTS' Jimin releases solo album

  • 17

    Crypto founder Do Kwon is indicted in US, following Montenegro arrest

  • 19

    Over 70% of firms unwilling to embrace longer workweek

  • 2

    Zoo shares sad story of what caused Sero the zebra to escape

  • 4

    Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour

  • 6

    N. Korea tests 'underwater nuclear attack drone,' cruise missiles for nuclear warhead: KCNA

  • 8

    North Korea will pay price for reckless provocations, warns Yoon

  • 10

    Hybe to sell SM shares to Kakao following failed takeover bid

  • 12

    Kyochon heralds 30,000 won fried chicken era

  • 14

    Second daughter of Daesang chairman promoted to vice president

  • 16

    More companies adopt electronic voting amid increase in shareholder activism

  • 18

    Samsung Electronics chief to attend China Development Forum

  • 20

    Samsung Display strike looms due to deadlocked wage negotiations

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, March 26, 2023 | 05:56
Law & Crime
Debate heats up over chemical castration of more sex offenders
Posted : 2023-02-06 16:47
Updated : 2023-02-07 15:56
Jun Ji-hye
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Kim Geun-sik / Korea Times file
Kim Geun-sik / Korea Times file

By Jun Ji-hye

Whether chemical castration should be ordered as punishment on more child sex offenders is emerging as a key issue in legal circles, after the prosecution recently requested a court to order such a penalty for serial rapist Kim Geun-sik.

These discussions reflect long-standing concerns that punishment ordered on child sex offenders in the past did not match their brutal crimes and that existing systems to monitor released offenders have insufficiently reduced repeat offenses.

Chemical castration involves administering medication ― either via injection or tablets ― to repress sexual interest.

The related law came into effect in 2011 in Korea amid public outcry over a series of child rapists reoffending following their release.

Kim had served 15 years in prison for raping 11 minors in Seoul and its surrounding areas from May to September of 2006.

The 55-year-old was supposed to be released from prison in October last year. Just before his release, Kim was arrested again. Investigators found that he was the assailant in an unsolved case in which a 13-year-old girl was molested in September of 2006.

During a second trial last Friday, the prosecution requested a district court in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, to order chemical castration as punishment on Kim, referring to the results of his psychiatric evaluation.

Several experts also raised the need for the enforcement of chemical castration on Kim, including Pyo Chang-won, a renowned criminal profiler and former lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

"Kim will definitely commit the crime again as his previous crimes were intentional and habitual," Pyo said.

Oh Eun-young, a renowned child psychiatrist and television personality, also said during her radio appearance, "Simply detaining pedophiles cannot change anything about their sexual desire. The best way would be offering both drug and psychotherapy treatments for a long period of time."

Kim's next trial is scheduled on March 3.

Similarly, calls for the enforcement of chemical castration on child sex offenders grew in December of 2020 when Cho Doo-soon, one of Korea's most notorious child rapists, was released from prison.

But it could not be enforced on Cho as he received his final ruling in the Supreme Court in 2009, before the law came into effect and did not consent. In this case, chemical castration can be enforced only when law enforcement officers get one's consent.

This reignited debates about the need for amending the law so that chemical castration can be retroactively applied for sex offenders with final rulings before 2011.

A related bill is already pending at the National Assembly. Rep. Ki Dong-min of the DPK submitted the bill in November last year, aiming at amending the law so that chemical castration can be enforced upon sex offenders who had already been released from prison.


Emailjjh@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Zoo shares sad story of what caused Sero the zebra to escape Zoo shares sad story of what caused Sero the zebra to escape
2Genesis launches 2023 G90 sedan Genesis launches 2023 G90 sedan
3Churches, Seoul gov't unite to fight low birthrate Churches, Seoul gov't unite to fight low birthrate
4North Korea will pay price for reckless provocations, warns Yoon North Korea will pay price for reckless provocations, warns Yoon
5Burnout: Cardiothoracic surgery residents work 102 hours a week Burnout: Cardiothoracic surgery residents work 102 hours a week
6Kyochon heralds 30,000 won fried chicken era Kyochon heralds 30,000 won fried chicken era
7What's next for Do Kwon? What's next for Do Kwon?
8Second daughter of Daesang chairman promoted to vice president Second daughter of Daesang chairman promoted to vice president
9More companies adopt electronic voting amid increase in shareholder activism More companies adopt electronic voting amid increase in shareholder activism
10Over 70% of firms unwilling to embrace longer workweek Over 70% of firms unwilling to embrace longer workweek
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol' Kim Min-gyu, Go Bo-gyeol bid farewell to 'The Heavenly Idol'
2Yoo Yeon-seok threatens to sue people spreading accusations about him Yoo Yeon-seok threatens to sue people spreading accusations about him
3Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3 Han Suk-kyu on return of 'Dr. Romantic' with Season 3
4Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour Kim Nam-gil to embark on Asia fan-meeting tour
5Lee Som, Ahn Jae-hong to play married couple in Tving's new series Lee Som, Ahn Jae-hong to play married couple in Tving's new series
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group