GWANGJU — Lawmakers called for the death penalty for Jang Yun-gi, 24, who was sentenced to life in prison by a lower court for murdering a high school girl, during a parliamentary audit of the Gwangju District Court and the Gwangju High Court.
Rep. Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party of Korea, who chairs the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said she believes the death penalty should be handed down to Jang, adding that carrying out the execution is a separate matter.
Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party said prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Jang, but the lower court that imposed a life sentence reasoned that keeping him imprisoned permanently without parole would console the bereaved family and prevent similar crimes. "Isn't a ban on parole legally non-binding? What is the institutional solution?" he asked. Seo also asked the court to present its views on life imprisonment without parole, saying the National Assembly would also take up the issue.
Jang Yong-gi, chief judge of the Gwangju District Court, said parole falls under the authority of the Ministry of Justice, so a sentence of life imprisonment without parole would carry only declaratory meaning and no institutional legal force. He added that introducing life imprisonment without parole is a significant judicial policy matter that should be decided after sufficiently gathering public opinion and holding discussions among experts.
Under Article 72 of the current Criminal Act, inmates serving life sentences may be granted parole after 20 years, and those serving fixed terms after serving one-third of their sentence, if their conduct has been good and they show clear remorse.
Yoon said the reality is that even if judges leave a record, a life sentence becomes eligible for parole review after 20 years. He said the parole system, including the introduction of absolute life imprisonment, needs to be overhauled to show empathy for the pain of bereaved families.