South Korea
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Abolitionist de facto
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 0
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · According to a survey released in 1999 by Gallup Korea,...
- News items in the archive
- 254
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
South Korea is classified as Abolitionist de facto in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 0 the year before. The archive holds 254 news items on South Korea, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- AUGUST 7, 2014ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: ANOTHER SOUTH KOREAN EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
- JANUARY 1, 2014South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- JANUARY 25, 2013South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
a court handed down a death sentence to Kim Hong-il...
a court handed down a death sentence to Kim Hong-il...
- JANUARY 16, 2013South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: TOP COURT REJECTS DEATH PENALTY IN BRUTAL MURDER
South Korea's top court rejected arguments for reinstating the death sentence
- JANUARY 1, 2013South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- OCTOBER 22, 2012South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
a South Korean court posthumously acquitted a man executed 50 years ago
a South Korean court posthumously acquitted a man executed 50 years ago
SEPTEMBER 4, 2012South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: GOV'T MAY RESUME EXECUTIONS
In South Korea, the government is considering resuming executions of inmates on death
- AUGUST 14, 2012ChinaDEATH PENALTY
a South Korean man has been sentenced to death
a South Korean man has been sentenced to death
JUNE 15, 2012ChinaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: DEATH SENTENCE IN GROTESQUE MURDER CASE
A South Korean court handed down a death sentence to a Chinese national who was
MAY 25, 2012ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: SOUTH KOREAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
A South Korean man has been sentenced to death for drug trafficking in the eastern
FEBRUARY 24, 2012South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE PASSES RESOLUTION AGAINST CHINA'S REPATRIATION OF NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS
a South Korean parliamentary committee adopted a resolution demanding China stop
JANUARY 13, 2012South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: MARINE CORPORAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FOUR FELLOWS
A 19-year-old marine corporal surnamed Kim was sentenced to death in South Korea
- JANUARY 1, 2012South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- MARCH 28, 2011South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
S KOREA HAS 61 CONDEMNED CRIMINALS
South Korea has 61 people on death row, though it has not executed anyone since 1997, Amnesty International said. In North Korea, at least 60 people were executed in 2010, according to the human rights body. An Amnesty Korea official said that “many lawma
- JANUARY 1, 2011South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- DECEMBER 30, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA ACTIVISTS DEMAND DEATH PENALTY BAN
in South Korea, the leaders religious, legal and civic circles urged the government to abolish the penalty and push the country to a new level as a guardian of human rights.
DECEMBER 15, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE
A South Korean appeals court overturned a death sentence passed on a 33-year-old
- OCTOBER 4, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
the government has virtually scrapped the much disputed...
the government has virtually scrapped the much disputed...
- JULY 2, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: BUSAN MAN APPEALS AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
in South Korea, Kim Kil-tae appealed his death sentence, court officials said. The Busan District Court found Kil-tae guilty of raping and killing a 13-year-old girl in the southern port city of Busan in late February.
MARCH 18, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTYSOUTH KOREA: ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
The National Assembly speaker demanded the abolition of the death penalty in South
- MARCH 14, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
MOST S.KOREANS BACK DEATH PENALTY: SURVEY
83.1 percent of South Koreans support capital punishment, according to a survey carried out by ruling-party thinktank Youido Institute and polling 3,049 adults nationwide.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY
South Korea’s highest court upheld the death penalty, 13 years after the last execution
- JANUARY 1, 2010South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- OCTOBER 12, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: 920 EXECUTED SINCE 1948
Rep. Park Min-shik of the governing Grand National Party in South Korea said 920 condemned criminals were put to death from 1949 to 1997.
- SEPTEMBER 25, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM: KOREAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDERING VIETNAMESE LOVER
the Vietnamese Supreme Court sentenced South Korean national Kim Ki Jong, 26, to death for strangling his South Korean lover, Dao Thi H., in September, 2008, and burning her body.
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: GOVERNMENT PLEDGES NON-APPLICATION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
It has been confirmed by the Ministry of Justice that the South Korean government is agreeing to the non-application
- AUGUST 5, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: DEATH PENALTY FOR SERIAL KILLINGS CONFIRMED
a man convicted of murdering 10 women in South Korea dropped his appeal, court officials said, making his death sentence final.
- AUGUST 4, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: HUMAN RIGHTS BODY CHALLENGES DEATH PENALTY
the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRC) filed a petition with the Constitutional Court to end capital punishment.
- JULY 23, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: HIGH COURT CONFIRMS DEATH PENALTY FOR SERIAL MURDERS
the Seoul High Court in South Korea upheld a lower court's death sentence for Kang Ho-sun, 38, for the murder of 10 women
- JUNE 10, 2009South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO HOLD PROCEEDING ON DEATH PENALTY
the South Korean Constitutional Court will hold a public proceeding to decide whether capital punishment is unconstitutional.