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 21, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA: SEOUL COURT ORDERS COMPENSATION FOR EXECUTED ACTIVISTS
a Seoul court ordered the South Korean government to pay almost US$26 million in compensation to families of eight pro-democracy activists executed on fabricated treason charges three decades ago
- APRIL 22, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA CONSIDERS REVISING DEATH PENALTY PROVISIONS
South Korea's justice minister said his ministry is considering revising some provisions on capital punishment.
- APRIL 12, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR SERIAL KILLINGS
the South Korean Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced a man to death for a series of murders.
- FEBRUARY 13, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. DEATH SENTENCE TO REMAIN
the Ministry of Justice announced it had drafted a roadmap for human rights protection (National Action
- JANUARY 23, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. EXECUTED FOR TREASON, ACTIVISTS ARE POSTHUMOUSLY ACQUITTED
eight pro-democracy activists were posthumously acquitted of treason charges, more than 30 years after they were executed. The Seoul Central District Court said the activists were not guilty of forming an underground party aiming to overthrow the authorit
- JANUARY 11, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SERIAL KILLER CHUNG NAM-GYU SENTENCED TO DEATH IN SOUTH KOREA
serial killer, Chung Nam-gyu (37) was sentenced to death at an appeal trial in South Korea.
- JANUARY 1, 2007South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- NOVEMBER 24, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. TOP COURT REJECTS APPEAL AGAINST DEATH SENTENCE FOR SOUTH KOREAN
Japan’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal by a South Korean man sentenced to death for killing two people in 1995 in Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures, a move that will let his death sentence stand.
- SEPTEMBER 20, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. DEATH PENALTY IMPOSED ON MAN WHO KILLED 13
convicted serial killer Chung Nam-kyu was sentenced to death by a district court in Seoul, South Korea.
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF WIFE, 3 SONS
the Supreme Court of South Korea sentenced to death a man for the murder of his wife and three sons.
- MAY 8, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. RIGHTS PANEL TO LOOK INTO CASE OF NORTH KOREAN ON DEATH ROW
South Korea's state human rights panel said it will investigate the case of a North Korean citizen who is allegedly on death row in the communist country.
- APRIL 28, 2006North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR SEEKS TO STOP BROTHER'S EXECUTION
North Korean defector Son Jong Hoon recently received the devastating news from his communist homeland: his brother was sentenced to death on charges of spying for rival South Korea.
- APRIL 27, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. SERIAL RAPIST SENTENCED TO DEATH
the Cheongju District Court, South Korea, sentenced to death a 30-year old man identified by his surname Yang, convicted of who committed 37 sexual assaults across the country between November 2004 and February 2006.
- APRIL 4, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY, CATHOLIC, OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADERS URGE GOVERNMENT
the Pan-Religion Union for the Abolition of the Death Penalty held a press conference in South Korea’s National Assembly building and released a statement calling for an urgent end to capital punishment.
- APRIL 3, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. MAJORITY SUPPORT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, POLL
according to a nationwide poll conducted by a South Korean broadcasting company in March 2006, 46.1 percent of the 625 respondents supported capital punishment, while 37.9 percent opposed it.
- MARCH 22, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. SERIAL KILLER SUPPORTS DEATH PENALTY
serial killer Yoo Young-chul said he objected to a recent move to abolish capital punishment in South Korea. Yoo's claim came amid controversy about the death penalty, which reemerged following the Justice Ministry's consideration to replace capital punis
- MARCH 13, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. CATHOLIC CHURCH PETITION AGAINST DEATH PENALTY
The Committee for the Abolition of Capital Punishment of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) has announced that it will present the government with a petition calling for the abolition of capital punishment in the country.
- MARCH 6, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. CATHOLICS IN SOUTH KOREA SEEK ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY
about 115,800 Roman Catholics in South Korea signed their names on a petition calling to abolish capital punishment, the Catholic organization Committee for Justice and Peace (CJP) said.
- FEBRUARY 26, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. FORMER PRESIDENT CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung called for scrapping the death penalty as his nation showed signs of ending the controversial practice.
- FEBRUARY 21, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. JUSTICE MINISTRY TO RECONSIDER DEATH PENALTY
the Justice Ministry announced today it will review the possibility of replacing capital punishment with life imprisonment without parole or pardon to meet the rising number of calls on enhancing the protection of human rights.
- JANUARY 1, 2006South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- DECEMBER 7, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. SPY AGENCY UNEARTHS MOST SHAMEFUL MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE
South Korea's spy agency said that eight innocent men were tortured and sent to their deaths in 1975 by the military government of late dictator Park Chung-Hee in a case that ranked as the nation's worst miscarriage of justice.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. SOLDIER SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER SHOOTING
a South Korean army court martial sentenced Private First Class Kim Dong-min to death for killing eight soldiers while on guard duty on the border with North Korea, an army spokesman said.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005North KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Rep. Kim Moon-soo of South Korea’s main opposition Grand National Party
Rep. Kim Moon-soo of South Korea’s main opposition Grand National Party
- NOVEMBER 16, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
the General Assembly of Parliament approved the appointments of three new justices...
the General Assembly of Parliament approved the appointments of three new justices to the 13-member Supreme Court.
- AUGUST 25, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. COUNTRY’S DEATH ROW INMATES NUMBER 61
the number of death row inmates in South Korea increased to 61 after the Supreme Court sentenced a 36-year-old man to death for murder, court officials said. South Korea had not carried out an execution of a convicted criminal since December 1997 amid a f
- JUNE 27, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. DEATH PENALTY MORE HUMANE THAN LIFE IMPRISONMENT, JUSTICE MINISTRY
the Justice Ministry sent an official letter to the National Assembly opposing lawmakers' moves to abolish death penalty in South Korea.
- JUNE 9, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. DEATH PENALTY UPHELD IN SERIAL KILLER VERDICT
upholding a lower court ruling, the South Korean Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence on Yoo Yeong-cheol, convicted of killing 20 people.
- APRIL 20, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
South Korea abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
South Korea abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- APRIL 6, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. STATE RIGHTS BODY SUPPORTS ENDING DEATH PENALTY
South Korea's human rights watchdog said it supported a bill before parliament calling for the abolition of the death penalty.