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
- MARCH 29, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. JUSTICE MINISTER OPPOSES ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
South Korea’s Justice Minister, Kim Seung-kyu, voiced opposition to terminating capital punishment. “Although the life of a criminal is important, the lives of victims are also important,” he told reporters.
- MARCH 28, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. HUMAN RIGHTS PANEL TO ADVISE REPEAL OF DEATH PENALTY
members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reached a general consensus that the South Korean government should abrogate capital punishment.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH KOREA. ASSEMBLY BEGINS DELIBERATION ON DEATH PENALTY FOR FIRST TIME
South Korea’s National Assembly commenced its first ever deliberation on a bill to abolish the controversial death penalty.
- JANUARY 1, 2005South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- DECEMBER 13, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Yoo Young-chul, a 34-year-old South Korean man believed...
Yoo Young-chul, a 34-year-old South Korean man believed...
- DECEMBER 6, 2004ChinaDEATH PENALTY
four South Korean citizens received suspended death sentences
four South Korean citizens received suspended death sentences
- NOVEMBER 22, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
a group of 150 South Korean lawmakers led by Rep. Yoo In-tae...
a group of 150 South Korean lawmakers led by Rep. Yoo In-tae...
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Upholding a lower court verdict in a capital murder...
Upholding a lower court verdict in a capital murder case, the Supreme Court said the death penalty in South Korea was justified in cases of extreme inhumanity
- AUGUST 16, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
About 57 percent of lawmakers - 135 out of 237 - say...
About 57 percent of lawmakers - 135 out of 237 - say they want the death penalty to be abolished
- AUGUST 11, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Supreme Court justice nominee Kim Young-ran said...
Supreme Court justice nominee Kim Young-ran said...
- AUGUST 5, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Only one out of three Koreans said capital punishment...
Only one out of three Koreans said capital punishment should be abolished, according to a poll conducted by National Human Rights Commission of Korea
- AUGUST 5, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Joo Ho-young of the opposition Grand National Party...
Joo Ho-young of the opposition Grand National Party said he believed the death penalty could only be abolished when society in South Korea was more mature
- JULY 15, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
It was reported that the governing Uri Party was preparing...
It was reported that the governing Uri Party was preparing to submit legislation that if enacted would put an end to the death penalty in South Korea
- MAY 28, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
A South Korean man was executed in China on for murdering...
A South Korean man was executed in China on for murdering his Chinese girlfriend and her sister
- APRIL 21, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
South Korea abstained from the resolution on the death...
South Korea abstained from the resolution on the death penalty at the 60th UN Commission on Human Rights
- APRIL 12, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
Capital punishment is provided for 103 crimes:
- MARCH 25, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
South Korea was trying to confirm reports that about...
South Korea was trying to confirm reports that about 100 North Korean refugees at a detention centre in China were on hunger strike to protest plans to repatriate them
- MARCH 23, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
The majority of South Koreans support capital punishment...
The majority of South Koreans support capital punishment but remain uncertain about its effectiveness in preventing crimes, a state-run commission said in a survey
- JANUARY 15, 2004South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
The Seoul High Court in South Korea upheld a death...
The Seoul High Court in South Korea upheld a death sentence to a 23 year old man, identified by only his surname Kim, on charges of murdering his mother and grandmother and attempting to kill the rest of his family after a squabble over credit card debts
- MAY 28, 2003South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
South Korea recorded progress in the promotion and...
South Korea recorded progress in the promotion and protection of human rights in 2002 but still detained citizens for their political beliefs, Amnesty International said
- APRIL 24, 2003South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
South Korea voted against the resolution on the death...
South Korea voted against the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva
- FEBRUARY 3, 2003South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Peter Hodgkinson, British representative to the Council...
Peter Hodgkinson, British representative to the Council of the International League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, arrived in Soeul to meet with policy makers and discuss issues concerning capital punishment
- JANUARY 13, 2003South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Six South Korean men were sentenced to death in China...
Six South Korean men were sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking
- DECEMBER 31, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Publicly released Justice Ministry statistics revealed...
Publicly released Justice Ministry statistics revealed that no executions had been carried out under the Kim Dae-jung government
- DECEMBER 30, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
The Justice Ministry declared that the government pardoned...
The Justice Ministry declared that the government pardoned 122 prisoners
- DECEMBER 17, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
In its "2001 Human Rights Report," the Korean Bar Association...
In its "2001 Human Rights Report," the Korean Bar Association said the U
- NOVEMBER 29, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
A group of 56 lawmakers affiliated with the Korean...
A group of 56 lawmakers affiliated with the Korean branch of Amnesty International (AI) petitioned President Kim Dae-jung asking that prisoners currently awaiting execution have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment
- NOVEMBER 28, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
The Constitutional Court ruled as unconstitutional...
The Constitutional Court ruled as unconstitutional a clause in the National Security Law allowing the death penalty to be imposed on those found guilty of repeatedly praising North Korea, or encouraging others to do so
- NOVEMBER 4, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
Sister Helen Prejean, the author and real life protagonist...
Sister Helen Prejean, the author and real life protagonist of the book that inspired the movie "Dead Man Walking", visited South Korea to join a death penalty abolishment campaign currently underway in the country
- OCTOBER 23, 2002South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
The Justice Ministry announced that Kenzi Snider a...
The Justice Ministry announced that Kenzi Snider a 21-year-old former exchange student will soon be extradited here from her home in the U