South Korea
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- presidential republic
- CONSTITUTION
- October 29, 1987
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on elements of European, Anglo-American, and Chinese codes
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, National Assembly (Kukhoe)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court, judges appointed by the President and ratified by the National Assembly; Constitutional Court
RELIGIONS
Christians 26%, Buddhists 23%, none 49%
From the country
APRIL 7, 2026South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: DEATH-ROW KILLER LEE U-CHEOL DIES IN PRISON FROM CANCER
Lee U-cheol, a 'long-unexecuted death-row inmate' who killed a member trying to defect and the member's partner, died of illness while serving his sentence.
JANUARY 19, 2026South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: COURT ACQUITS MAN EXECUTED 50 YEARS AGO IN NAT'L SECURITY LAW CASE
A Seoul court on January 19, 2026 posthumously acquitted a man executed 50 years ago for allegedly attempting to rebuild an underground pro-North Korea organization in a retrial of the case.
JULY 2, 2025South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: TWO DEATH ROW INMATES DIE, LEAVING 57 REMAINING ON DEATH ROW
The fact that two death row inmates died last year has been revealed belatedly. They died due to advanced age and illness while being in a state where capital punishment was not carried out for a long time.
JUNE 11, 2023South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: CABINET APPROVES BILL TO REMOVE SUNSET CLAUSE FOR DEATH SENTENCE
The South Korean government on June 5, 2013 approved a bill to remove the sunset clause for the death penalty in a bid to prevent inmates on death row from avoiding execution after 30 years in prison.
JULY 19, 2022South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: RELIGIOUS GROUPS CALL FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Catholic Church in South Korea joined other religious groups to call for the abolition of the death penalty terming it unconstitutional and ineffective in curbing criminal offenses in the country.
- JULY 6, 2022South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREAN COURT TO CONSIDER CONSTITUTIONALITY OF DEATH PENALTY FOR FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS
South Korea’s death penalty is being taken before the Constitutional Court for the first time in 12 years.
JUNE 23, 2022South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: COURT HANDS DOWN RARE DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN FOUND GUILTY IN DOUBLE MURDER CASE
A South Korea district court imposed a rare death sentence on a 53-year-old man on 23 June 2022 after he was found guilty of killing a woman for money in December last year, and then also murdering an accomplice.
OCTOBER 19, 2021South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: JAPAN-LINKED KOREAN EX DEATH-ROW INMATE ACQUITTED OF SPYING
A former South Korean resident of Japan, who had been convicted as a North Korean spy and sentenced to death in 1983 in South Korea, was acquitted on 19 October 2021 of illegally collecting intelligence, people once close to the now deceased man said.
MARCH 1, 2021South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: CHILD ABUSE CAN NOW LEAD TO DEATH PENALTY
South Korean lawmakers on 26 February 2021 passed a bill at the plenary session of the National Assembly to revise a law dealing with penalties for child abuse, making it possible for child abusers to be convicted of murder even if they did not intend to
- NOVEMBER 19, 2020South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA VOTES FOR UN RESOLUTION ON DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM FOR 1ST TIME
South Korea's Justice Ministry said on 18 November 2020 that the country has voted in favor of a UN resolution calling for the suspension of the death penalty.
- JANUARY 1, 2020South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
20 years without executions
20 years without executions
NOVEMBER 29, 2019South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: SCHIZOPHRENIC KILLER SENTENCED TO DEATH
A South Korean court on 27 November 2019 handed down a death sentence to a schizophrenic man who killed five people and injured 17 others in an arson and murder case in the southern part of the country early this year.