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.
The highest court said the execution of a member of a religious cult, identified as Mr. Ra, 62, was warranted because he showed "contempt for human life" in killing six people who defected from the cult.
"The defendant killed the six members just because they left the cult and criticized its leader," the court said. "His act was cruel. We thus believe that his original conviction is legitimate."
The defendant argued the punishment was too severe.
A court official said, "The ruling means those who committed brutal and inhumane crimes shall not be considered human beings. The death penalty in those cases will not go against the constitution, which defines human dignity."
The ruling came amid a national debate over whether the death penalty should be abolished. A number of lawmakers in the governing Uri Party were preparing a bill that would do away with capital punishment. Yoo Ihn-tae, a Uri lawmaker and former condemned prisoner had argued for abolition, saying the death penalty was "murder by the law."
The National Human Rights Commission also planned to issue a recommendation to abolish the death penalty soon. But those in the judiciary were opposed to the move. Also, according to a survey by the Korea Society Opinion Institute in July 2004, more than six out 10 surveyed opposed the abolition of death penalty.