Less Than a Month Until Jo Doo-soon's Release... Ministry of Justice Struggles to Prepare Countermeasures

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Ministry of Justice has begun considering measures to prevent recidivism for Jo Doo-soon, a child sex offender scheduled to be released next month on the 13th. This is a follow-up action after Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae stated at the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee plenary session on the 12th that "we are checking his psychological state and preparing various measures to prevent recidivism."

Jo Doo-soon, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an elementary school student in front of a church in Danwon-gu in December 2008, causing serious injuries, is set to be released on December 13.

Minister Choo acknowledged at the National Assembly, "I am well aware that the public feels uneasy about Jo Doo-soon's release." She explained, "Institutionally, we are considering attaching one-on-one electronic monitoring, restricting alcohol consumption and outings, and cooperating with local governments to operate specialized programs for improving sexual awareness and alcohol treatment."

However, regarding the proposal to introduce a life sentence system to permanently isolate heinous child sex offenders from society, she expressed difficulty. In response to a related question from Democratic Party lawmaker Wi Seong-gon, Minister Choo said, "Instead of introducing a life sentence system, we are preparing a bill to prevent the recurrence of serious crimes and to rehabilitate the offenders." She also introduced the bill's content as "restorative justice, which involves treating those judged to have a high risk of reoffending due to alcohol or drug addiction and helping them reintegrate into society."

Separately, the Ministry of Justice is discussing various measures with the police, lawmakers, and local governments. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has instructed the Ministry of Justice to devise countermeasures, while the victim's father has appealed to the government to "keep the promise made 11 years ago to permanently isolate him."

First, the Ministry of Justice announced that it will firmly implement practical measures, including one-on-one probation and 24-hour location tracking. It added that if the conditions after release are violated, immediate detention and investigation will follow. The police have formed a special response task force and will strengthen patrols during school commuting hours. The area within a 1 km radius around an anticipated residence in Ansan City, where Jo Doo-soon is expected to stay after release, will be designated as a women’s safety zone, with concentrated deployment of patrol personnel, guard posts, and security facilities. Additionally, 71 new closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed at 23 locations within this area. The police also plan to conduct special crime prevention activities by mobilizing all available police personnel, including local police and mobile patrol units, for frequent patrols.

Isolation in protective custody facilities is not possible. Ansan Mayor Yoon Hwa-seop sent a letter to Minister Choo urgently requesting the enactment of a 'Protective Custody Act' related to sex offenders, but the Ministry of Justice stated, "The existing Protective Custody Act bill submitted to the National Assembly does not have retroactive provisions," and "Even based on that bill, it cannot be applied retroactively to people like Jo Doo-soon who committed crimes in the past."

According to the Ministry of Justice, the 'Protective Custody Act,' which would isolate child sex offenders and others from society for a certain period after release and place them under the management and supervision of protective custody facilities, was first submitted as a government bill on April 9, 2015, during the 19th National Assembly but was discarded due to controversy over human rights violations and the expiration of the legislative term. The Judiciary Committee's review report at the time stated that "in-depth discussions on pros and cons must precede the decision to introduce the system, and the considerable resources required for the installation and management of protective custody facilities must also be considered."

The so-called 'chemical castration' proposed by some is also not applicable to Jo Doo-soon. Although Jo Doo-soon was sentenced to 12 years in prison for rape and injury in September 2009, the 'Act on the Treatment of Sexual Offenders' Sexual Impulse with Medication' was enacted in July 2011. Additionally, he has not received a treatment custody order, making disposition through a treatment custody review committee impossible.

However, considering that Jo Doo-soon committed most of his past crimes while intoxicated, the Ministry of Justice plans to apply to the court to add special compliance conditions such as "prohibition of alcohol consumption above a certain amount," prohibition of access to child protection facilities, and restrictions on outings. A Ministry of Justice official said, "We are preparing in our own way at the Ministry of Justice ahead of Jo Doo-soon's release," and added, "We will continue to consider various methods to ensure safety not only for Ansan residents but for the public at large."