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. In the poll of 1,064 South Korean citizens conducted by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, 65.9 percent of the respondents said the death penalty should remain in place. The remaining 34.1 percent said it should be abolished. But when asked if the penalty is effective in preventing crime, more than half, or 51 percent, said it is not or that they are not sure. An overwhelming majority of 89.5 percent also said it does not alleviate the grudge held by victims' families. Also, 57.7 percent said the authorities should exercise caution in using the death penalty. "Although the majority of South Korean people expressed support for capital punishment, they gave different answers to questions relating to its effectiveness in preventing crime," an official at the commission said. "That seems to indicate that many agree that the application of the death penalty should be reduced." The commission plans to write a proposal that details ways to improve current use of the death penalty based on the results of the survey.