In December, a group of Korean lawmakers was moving...

In December, a group of Korean lawmakers was moving to ban the death penalty for the first time in the nation's history. Leading the unprecedented move is Rep. Yoo Jay-kun of the National Congress for New Politics (NCNP) and the Council for the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Korea, a private advocacy group. "We are trying to rid our legal system of inhumane punishment," said one of Yoo's aides. "More than 75 ruling and opposition lawmakers have signed the bill." Saying that 105 nations worldwide have literally barred the death penalty, the aide added that they would present as soon as possible the bill, which seeks to delete capital punishment from all laws, including the Criminal Code, and will regard death row inmates as sentenced to life in prison. Those supporting the death penalty, however, stressed the penalty's efficacy in deterring heinous crimes. "The death sentence should be retained for the protection of the majority of innocent people," they said. They also emphasized the importance of the conformity between the penal system and public sentiment. Rep. Kim Ki-choon, chairman of the opposition Grand National Party's human rights committee, personally believes that abrogating capital punishment is the ideal path to follow. "However, because the majority believe that the death penalty is needed to protect the innocent and deter crime, completely eliminating it from the punishment system would be premature," Kim said. The former prosecutor general and justice minister said that the movement should follow public opinion.