"Public disclosure of identities until death"... Kim Jae-seop introduces bill to toughen disclosure rules for sex offenders

\r\n
[The Financial News] On the 19th, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop introduced the "Lifetime Management of Sex Offenders Act," which would extend the period for public disclosure of personal information on serious sex offenders who have been sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment or confinement of more than three years, so that it lasts "until death." The aim is to significantly strengthen the existing system for disclosing personal information in order to address mounting public anxiety following the expiration of the disclosure period for Cho Doo-soon’s personal information.
Kim, a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly, announced that on the same day he submitted amendment bills to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses to the Bill Section of the National Assembly.
Under current law, once a conviction for a sex crime becomes final, the court orders that the offender’s personal information be made public for a specified period. However, critics have argued that the system must be strengthened because, even in the case of serious sex offenders, once the disclosure period ends, key personal information such as their place of residence can no longer be checked.
The period for public disclosure of Cho Doo-soon’s personal information was five years after his release from prison on December 12, 2020, and therefore ended on December 12 last year. When the National Assembly passed the so-called "Cho Doo-soon law," his street address and building number were made public.
The "Lifetime Management of Sex Offenders Act" proposed by Kim would extend the registration period for personal information of serious sex offenders—those sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment or confinement of more than three years—until the offender’s death. The intent is to ensure that the level of control corresponds to the gravity of the crime and to enable long-term, stringent management.
Kim stated, "The system for disclosing sex offenders’ personal information is not an additional punishment, but a minimum safety mechanism to prevent reoffending and to protect the everyday safety of the public," adding, "Even when the seriousness of the crime and the risk of recidivism clearly remain, making it impossible to know even the most basic information simply because the disclosure period has expired is plainly at odds with the original purpose of the system, which is to prevent reoffending and safeguard public safety."
He went on to say, "For offenders with a high risk of reoffending, management and disclosure of information must continue without interruption," and emphasized, "Through this bill, I hope to see a much stronger management framework put in place so that all citizens can be protected from the risk of sex crimes."
haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Reporter