The Ministry of Justice plans to introduce a draconian Korean version of Jessica's Law, a U.S. statute that requires released child sex offenders to wear electronic tracking devices and bans them from living less than around 600 m from schools and parks.
The Korean version would require child sex offenders who served more than 10 years behind bars or committed more than three offences to wear ankle bracelets and live in designated facilities.
They will have to live in public facilities designated by the Justice Ministry and must get permission if they want to stay anywhere else for more than a day. If they stray without permission, they face up to three years behind bars or a fine of up to W30 million (US$1=W1,343).
One lawyer said, "It will be tantamount to being locked up again."
A judge will decide how long a child sex offender has to live in the designated facility. Rapists are currently required to wear electronic tracking devices for three to 20 years.
According to the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday, the new law will affect 325 sex offenders released by the end of last year as it will apply retroactively to those ordered to wear tracking devices, an additional 69 to be released this year, 59 in 2024 and 59 in 2025.
The ministry originally wanted to prohibit them from living within 500 m of schools or kindergartens, but that might not be feasible. A ministry official said, "Korea is a small country with a high population density especially in the capital region, which means there aren't many places where they could be housed. This could mean they end up living on the streets and increase the chances of a repeat offense or public safety problems."
The ministry will also strengthen chemical castration for high-risk sex offenders. A prosecutor will be required to seek court approval for medications that suppress aggressive sexual behavior.
Out of 75 sex offenders who were treated with drugs since 2011, only one committed a repeat offense. But the proportion rose to 10 percent of repeat offenders within two years of their release among those not ordered to undergo such treatment.
The ministry has made enacting the law one of its five major priorities this year.
Public clamor for such a law grew with the release of Cho Doo-soon from prison in December 2020 after serving just 12 years for the brutal rape and mutilation of an eight-year-old girl.
