Human rights watchdog calls for progress on abolishing death penalty

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has called for renewed efforts to abolish the death penalty, nearly three decades after the country's last execution in 1997. In a statement marking the 24th World Day Against the Death Penalty, NHRCK Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho emphasized that the past 30 years have demonstrated that society can maintain public safety and a stable criminal justice system without resorting to executions.

Ahn suggested that this experience should be a valuable asset in discussions on whether the death penalty should remain in law, drawing on the lessons learned. He also pointed out the global trend toward abolishing capital punishment, noting that 145 countries had abolished the death penalty as of the end of last year, accounting for about three-quarters of countries worldwide.

Ahn acknowledged the importance of considering the suffering of violent crime victims and their families, as well as public opinion, when discussing abolition.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.