Correcting the 'Elastic Sentencing' That Undermines Trust in the Judiciary... Korea Sentencing Law Society Takes Its First Step

[Financial News] Academia and the legal community have joined forces to systematically establish standards for sentencing, which are directly tied to the fairness of judicial rulings. The country's first professional academic body covering both sentencing theory and practice is now launching and will begin full-scale discussions on institutional reform.
Korea University (KU) Law Research Institute and the Korea Sentencing Law Society said on the 27th that they will hold an academic conference to mark the society's founding at 2 p.m. on the 28th in Veritas Hall at the CJ Law Building of KU in Seongbuk District, Seoul.
The conference will be held under the theme, 'Sentencing as a 100-Year Blueprint for Korea's Criminal Justice.' The sentencing system, which determines appropriate punishment for offenders, is a key pillar that shapes public trust in the rule of law. However, concerns over fairness have persisted, with punishment levels varying from case to case. To address this, professors and researchers in law, along with experts from across the criminal justice field, including judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys, will gather to seek practical solutions.
Lee Joo-won, the first president of the Korea Sentencing Law Society and a professor at Korea University School of Law, said, "As a society dedicated to laying the foundation for the development of sentencing theory and practice in Korea, we will help restore judicial justice and contribute to the advancement of Korea's criminal justice system."
The conference will focus on judicial practice and a new victim-centered sentencing paradigm. Lee Dong-won, head of the Sentencing Commission of the Supreme Court of Korea and a distinguished professor at Korea University School of Law, will deliver the keynote speech on 'Sentencing Guidelines and Sentencing Practice.' Moon Junyoung, a professor at Pusan National University Law School, will give a lecture on 'Sentencing Thought in the Joseon Dynasty.'
Kim Hye-kyung, a professor at Keimyung University, will then present on 'A New Paradigm for Sentencing: Restorative Criminal Justice and Sentencing.' After that, Ha Tae-hoon, professor emeritus at Korea University, will chair a comprehensive discussion with representatives from the courts, the prosecution and the legal profession on 'The Direction and Tasks of Sentencing Research in Korea.'
Meanwhile, the Korea University Law Research Institute, which is co-hosting the event, was founded in 1960 as the country's first university-affiliated legal research institute. It currently operates 30 specialized and interdisciplinary research centers, including the Crime and Sentencing Research Center.

[email protected] Kim Man-ki Reporter